By Bill Grubb

CHURCH HILL - A Hawkins County man reported a horse was attacked by some type of animal Saturday night in the same area of the county where another individual reported seeing a bobcat attack a deer earlier in the day.
    Larry Barnett, 183 Sensabaugh Hollow Road, Church Hill, reported he heard a disturbance in the small barn where his horses are boarded.
    "Barnett stated that when he looked outside he could see that his horses were startled,"a Hawkins County Sheriff's Office report states.
    The man told authorities he went to check on the animals and found one had been injured.  The horse reportedly had several deep cuts around its head and neck.  Bite marks were also found on the horse's head "one of which appeared to have pierced the animal's skull," the report notes.
    Although the report does not specify what type of animal was responsible for the injuries, the report does note that earlier in the day an individual reportedly told a deputy he saw a large bobcat attack and take down a white-tail deer in an area less than two-tenths of a mile from Barnett's residence near the Sensabaugh Tunnel.
    "Bobcats are native to all of Tennessee and are more common than people realize.  The just are not see much," according to Steve Bennett of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
    He said it would be a "rare event" for a bobcat to attack a large animal, such as a horse.
    "They have been known to catch turkeys and I believe they could catch and kill a fawn deer," he added