Bobcat Kitten
On July 2, a tiny bobcat kitten was found in the Shavano Valley, dehydrated and alone. The vet tech who found her in her family’s yard immediately administered subquetaneous fluids. Brenda Miller of Roubideau Rim Wildlife Rescue, picked her up later in the day.
The cat spent the summer in a very large outdoor cage, with trees and rocks to climb, tunnels to run thru, lots of things to play with. She was fed dead and live mice; deer, elk and rabbit meat, and later live rabbits and injured birds that could not be saved. Brenda had the opportunity to travel to see family this past winter, so made the decision to transfer her to another wildlife rehabber.
Michael Sirochman of CO. Parks & Wildlife’s Frisco Creek facility in Del Norte agreed to take the bobcat and care for her. Brenda delivered the young bobcat to the facility in Del Norte. The bobcat was again feed deer and elk meat, and lots of live rabbits. Without a parent to teach her to hunt, the cat had to learn on her own, within the confines of the cage.
She was returned to her home area this past week as prescribed by state guidelines, given her freedom on the Uncompahgre Plateau. In spite of our best efforts, she has a reduced chance for long term survival as she did not have a parent to teach her about: the surroundings, where to find water, food and shelter, who her predators are, how to capture prey. All she has wanted since her capture, is her freedom.
Many thanks to all those who helped this bobcat survive, and go free. Michael Sirochman, Frisco Creek Facility Manager of CO. Parks and Wildlife; Mark Caddy, Game Damage/Commercial Parks Mgr. from CPW for transporting her from Del Norte back to Montrose, CPW volunteers Terry and Cheryl Ryan for meeting Mark and transporting her to the Shavano Valley, and Cris Nichols of the Morningstar Vet Clinic and her family for taking the bobcat to the release site and setting her free. And, thank you to the Laura and Paul Lenihan family, and Sarah, Anna and Micaiah Thompson and their parents for donating dead and live rabbits.
Bobcats are hunted in Colorado for their hides. Hides sell for $500-$800 and most are being sold overseas and made high end clothing apparel out of. They are trapped in winter when the coat is thick. The larger the white belly of fur--the higher the value in price. There is no limit to the number of bobcats a trapper can trap out in one season. Basically, in Colorado, there is no control over this inhumane killing of our wildlife.
The cat spent the summer in a very large outdoor cage, with trees and rocks to climb, tunnels to run thru, lots of things to play with. She was fed dead and live mice; deer, elk and rabbit meat, and later live rabbits and injured birds that could not be saved. Brenda had the opportunity to travel to see family this past winter, so made the decision to transfer her to another wildlife rehabber.
Michael Sirochman of CO. Parks & Wildlife’s Frisco Creek facility in Del Norte agreed to take the bobcat and care for her. Brenda delivered the young bobcat to the facility in Del Norte. The bobcat was again feed deer and elk meat, and lots of live rabbits. Without a parent to teach her to hunt, the cat had to learn on her own, within the confines of the cage.
She was returned to her home area this past week as prescribed by state guidelines, given her freedom on the Uncompahgre Plateau. In spite of our best efforts, she has a reduced chance for long term survival as she did not have a parent to teach her about: the surroundings, where to find water, food and shelter, who her predators are, how to capture prey. All she has wanted since her capture, is her freedom.
Many thanks to all those who helped this bobcat survive, and go free. Michael Sirochman, Frisco Creek Facility Manager of CO. Parks and Wildlife; Mark Caddy, Game Damage/Commercial Parks Mgr. from CPW for transporting her from Del Norte back to Montrose, CPW volunteers Terry and Cheryl Ryan for meeting Mark and transporting her to the Shavano Valley, and Cris Nichols of the Morningstar Vet Clinic and her family for taking the bobcat to the release site and setting her free. And, thank you to the Laura and Paul Lenihan family, and Sarah, Anna and Micaiah Thompson and their parents for donating dead and live rabbits.
Bobcats are hunted in Colorado for their hides. Hides sell for $500-$800 and most are being sold overseas and made high end clothing apparel out of. They are trapped in winter when the coat is thick. The larger the white belly of fur--the higher the value in price. There is no limit to the number of bobcats a trapper can trap out in one season. Basically, in Colorado, there is no control over this inhumane killing of our wildlife.