Driver hears strange noises from car — and discovers stowaway creature under hood

An Arizona man discovered a stowaway under the hood of his car after driving to work, photos show.

The man heard noises after arriving and discovered a bobcat he had unknowingly hit while driving, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said in a Friday, July 7, news release. The creature was trapped behind the grill of his vehicle.

“He looked under the hood and saw two eyeballs looking at him,” officials wrote about the incident near Gila Bend.

Deputies and state Game and Fish Department officers sedated the bobcat and rescued it from the engine compartment, officials said.

Photos posted with the release show the unconscious bobcat on the pavement near the car.

They released the bobcat, which was not hurt, back into the wild.

“Lucky bobcat! Thanks for rescuing him,” one person said on the post.

Gila Bend is about 70 miles southwest of Phoenix.

This story was originally published July 9, 2023 at 3:39 PM with the headline "Driver hears strange noises from car — and discovers stowaway creature under hood."