Rehabilitated Bobcat Released in Borrego
Last updated 3/19/2021 at 12:11pm
After months of rehabilitation, a young bobcat that was found abandon in Borrego Springs has been released in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park on March 3 by the San Diego Humane Society.
The young bobcat was found abandoned on a Borrego Springs property back in November 2020 by a citizen, who took the kitten to Project Wildlife. There, veterinarians said the young kitten had a gastrointestinal infection.
Caretakers said the bobcat was part of a late litter since bobcats typically are born toward the end of spring. This bobcat was found in late fall.
“It was touch and go for a bit and we were very concerned about this young bobcat kitten,” said Christine Barton, director of operations and wildlife rehabilitation at San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center. “We are thrilled that he thrived and though small, is a force to be reckoned with – ready to take on the vast landscape of Borrego Springs and make it his home once again.”
With antibiotics and a treatment plan that gradually introduced him to his natural diet, the kitten slowly recovered.
Because of the bobcat’s late arrival, there were no other conspecifics to pair him with at the Ramona Wildlife Center and he couldn’t be transferred to another clinic due to his condition.
“To hold a single bobcat kitten over winter is extremely difficult to do without habituating him to humans,” Barton said. “The wildlife caregivers at our campus took extreme precautions and provided all the necessary tools and stimulus to give this orphan bobcat a chance at successful rehab and release back into the wild.”
During his stay at the center, the bobcat was rehabilitated with simulated climbing and hunting challenges to prepare for the wild.
