A Wild Trio “They looked like a three-headed bobcat sleeping in one big fur pile.”
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eave it to a newspaper reporter to paint a vivid picture of three bobcats being returned to the wild. “The first two bobcats coiled up like springs in their kennel, then launched out into the wild outside Acme in a blur of fur. The third, who had a kennel to herself, took her time. She crept out cautiously, turned her head to look at the humans gathered behind her—just for a moment—then casually trotted away.” — Everett Herald Arriving at PAWS Wildlife Center on separate days in July 2020, the three orphaned kittens were found alone in Bellingham, Snohomish and Woodinville. Over the next 10 months, they were cared for by PAWS staff, including Wildlife Rehabilitator Robbie Thorson, who recalls their intake.
“While thin, they were feisty and required leather gloves to handle,” Robbie recalls. “All readily self-fed on prey.” PAWS Wildlife Rehabilitation Manager Emily Meredith remarks how quickly they bonded (after a brief quarantine period) and slept together, often “looking like a three-headed bobcat sleeping in one big fur pile.” PAWS works hard to limit human interaction with wildlife. This is accomplished with a series of enclosures with sliding doors which allow staff to clean and hide food without the animal in the same enclosure or even able to view the team members working. A highlight of the rehabilitation process involves enrichment. The unusually cold winter weather created a perfect storm for enrichment—a massive snow pile for the bobcats to explore. (See extra content for a video of the snow antics.) The COVID pandemic was a backdrop throughout most of the bobcats’ stay. Research suggesting wild cats could be susceptible to the virus required additional safety measures, including negative COVID tests for these bobcat patients prior to release.
A bobcat stretches and gets its bearings moments after release.
“During cleaning, we wore full Tyvek suits along with KN95s, face shields, boots, gloves and goggles,” says Robbie. These extra measures allowed staff to prevent any cross-contamination.
One of the tiny bobkittens during the initial intake exam.
After 250 days in care and a rehabilitation cost of $2,750 per bobcat, they were released back to the wild, running their separate ways once the carrier doors were raised. The reporter’s wish for the final bobcat as she darted into the woods was that, “a human will never lay eyes on her again.” Her temporary caregivers at PAWS concur.
For more content related to these stories, visit paws.org/Spring2022.
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