Nonprofit: Wounded Bobcat Recovering After Rescue
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – An 18-month-old bobcat in northern Minnesota is expected to make a full recovery after being hit by a car, according to a group of wildlife rehabilitators.
Staff at Wildwoods, a nonprofit dedicated to helping injured and orphaned animals get back to the wild, said a Hermantown police officer called Friday night about an injured bobcat near a house. Since no officers from the Department of Natural Resources were available to respond, Wildwoods staff went to help the wounded bobcat.
Equipped with a catchpole, leather gloves, wool blankets, and a dog kennel, Wildwoods staff successfully led the bobcat into the kennel. The Wildwoods responders also met up with a veterinarian at the scene, just in case the bobcat needed to be sedated. Sedation was not needed, however, because the bobcat's injuries rendered him unable to run, Wildwoods staff said.
On Saturday, responders brought the wounded bobcat to Wild and Free, a wildlife rehabilitation organization in Garrison, Minn., to be treated by Dr. Deb Eskedahl. She said the bobcat suffered from a concussion and a spinal bruise; it was also underweight and covered in fleas.
The bobcat is currently being cared for by Wild and Free, and it is expected to make a full recovery, Wildwoods staff said.
Wildwoods said it encourages police officers and others to remember that there are often many options available to help wounded animals recover from injuries and get back to their habitats. Euthanasia, which Wildwoods described as the "just shoot it option," is not always the best way to deal with wounded animals.
