Bobcat Mauls Two In US Garage Attack

A man and his nephew have been attacked by a bobcat after startling the wild animal in their own garage.

Roger Mundell Jr said all he heard was a hiss before the wild cat pounced on him, sinking its teeth into his face and its claws in his back.

The bobcat then ran out of the garage in Brookfield, Massachusetts, and bit Mr Mundell's 15-year-old nephew on the arms and back.

"It only took a split second for him to be on me," Mr Mundell told Boston's WHDH-TV. "I didn't have time to process it."

Mr Mundell and his wife eventually pinned the cat to the ground with a walking stick and shot it dead with a handgun.

All three of those involved are being treated for rabies. His wife was not bitten but she came into contact with the animal's blood.

State environmental police took the bobcat to have it tested for rabies, which they think is likely given its unusual behaviour.

Bobcats are generally twice the size of an average domestic house cat.

They can grow to more than a metre in length and can weigh up to 14kg (30lb).