State officials say they had no choice but to shoot a bobcat that attacked a golfer in eastern Connecticut Thursday.

News 12 Connecticut is told that a man, in his 60s, was playing the course at Mohegan Sun in Baltic when a bobcat jumped on his back. He says his golfing buddies used their clubs to fight the cat off.

When DEEP Environmental Conservation police arrived on the scene, they tracked and humanely euthanized the animal nearby. They say that they believe the same bobcat had recently been reported as having attacked a horse.

The golfer was transported to the hospital to be treated for lacerations. His condition remains unknown.

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has since released a press release that reads, “Bobcats are shy secretive animals; attacks on humans are extremely rare. The last reported incident was in Bozrah in late August, 2014. That animal was found to test positive for rabies.”

DEEP recommends that if you encounter a bobcat, you should keep your distance, make noise and back away from the animal.