Was that a mountain lion? Probably not.

Newport Beach Animal Control Officer Jamye Rogers gets more calls about big cats around this time of year, when local bobcats are out in force to hunt on local golf courses and drink from backyard swimming pools. The spotted cats with stubby tails are often mistaken for mountain lions, Rogers said.

“Newport is really set up for a bobcat — they go for small game like rabbits and vermin,” she said.

Residents of the One Ford Road gated community in Newport Beach last week spotted what looked like a mountain lion jumping over the 8- to 10-foot brick wall that surrounds the community and into a back yard, but it probably was a bobcat, Rogers said.

Morgan Kuzmanic, activities director and facilities manager at One Ford Road, e-mailed residents after the sighting Friday morning to make them aware of the wildlife and to tell them to be cautious.

Although the cat was reportedly quite large and with a long tail, Rogers said local bobcats grow so large they’re often mistaken for mountain lions. The animals usually don’t pose a threat to humans or pets, she said.

“They’re eating well, but they’re eating the stuff they’re supposed to, like wildlife and rabbits,” Rogers said.

It’s not uncommon for wildlife officials to receive more reports of mountain lions as the weather gets warmer, but many sightings turn out to be anything but a mountain lion, said Erin Gallup, an information officer for California Department of Fish and Game.

A rancher in San Diego County recently mistook the paw prints of a large dog for mountain lion tracks, Gallup said.

“Mountain lions are usually afraid of humans,” she said. “If they’re hanging out in a public place...there’s something wrong with them.”

The health of the bobcat population in the San Joaquin Hills area, which includes areas surrounding Upper Newport Bay, has attracted the interest of the U.S. Geological Survey, which is studying bobcats.

“It’s been a really fabulous place to study, because the residents seem to be interested in knowing more about bobcats,” said Erin Boydston, a research ecologist for the U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center.

Ecologists think there are about a dozen bobcats living locally, but are still working to count the population, Boydston said. Bobcats hunt for ground squirrels and rabbits at local golf courses, but several have been killed when trying to cross roads. The animals travel over large areas and are prone to run-ins with cars, Boydston said.

Still, residents should consider themselves lucky to live in an area where bobcat sightings are not uncommon, she said.

“It’s rare to see one [a bobcat] in most places where bobcats live, but we’ve had some situations where people have been able to see them around the Back Bay with some regularity,” Boydston said.

People should call animal control officers only if they spot an injured bobcat; otherwise, they should enjoy getting a glimpse of local wildlife, Rogers said.

BRIANNA BAILEY may be reached at (714) 966-4625 or at [email protected].