Video Shows Coyote Climbing 30-Foot Tree to Chase a Bobcat

It’s not hard to imagine a coyote chasing a bobcat, but you don’t expect to see one treeing a cat, and then climbing the tree to get to it. But that’s exactly what happened near San Diego last month. Bryce Pierce was hiking with his dogs in Mission Trails Regional Park when he captured the crazy footage.

"I heard loud rustling," Pierce told NBC 7. "That's when I saw the bobcat first, and then I realized coyotes were after it and soon enough one attempted to climb."

Pierce, a zoologist with the county agricultural department, started filming as the coyote climbed the trunk of an approximately 30-foot tree in pursuit of the bobcat. The coyote got to within inches of the bobcat, but eventually backed down the tree.

"I think the presence of my dogs and I may have discouraged them to continue, but at least the bobcat may live to see another day," Pierce said.

Pierce says he’s spotted coyotes pursuing quail, deer, and rodents during his frequent hikes in the park, but he's never witnessed an interaction like this.