Wild bobcat making remarkable recovery after getting hit by car
In February, Tracie Young, director of the Raven Ridge Wildlife Center in Pennsylvania, received an unforgettable phone call. A game warden asked if central southeastern Pennsylvania had room for a bobcat that had been hit and dragged by a car.
Photographs of the incident on Facebook are gruesome, showing the wild feline with its head stuck in the vehicle’s grille. Young said yes, but with little hope that the bobcat would survive the journey.
Despite his expectations, the cat arrived at the facility, even though it was clear that he was in serious pain. The team needed to take x-rays to truly understand the nature of his injuries. But it was a Sunday and the nearby veterinary office was closed until the next morning.
A happy series of connections thus came into action. Young called a friend who knew a horse veterinarian who had a mobile X-ray machine and brought him to Raven Ridge. They found that the bobcat had broken its right front and rear leg, consistent with the right side impact.
While consulting with a wildlife rehabilitator experienced with bobcats, Tracie sent the x-rays to the wildlife center’s veterinarian. The vet was in no condition, but sent the x-rays to two orthopedic surgeons. The team, now made up of six people, was faced with a very difficult question: Was it worth operating on the young bobcat?
Although this may seem harsh, they had to take several factors into account. Could the cat recover completely? Could she remain in captivity during her rehabilitation? It is almost impossible for the broken bones of a wild animal to heal properly, and operating on an injured joint would cause arthritis. In both of these scenarios, the animal would have to be put down.
In his misfortune, the bobcat was lucky: his bones had broken cleanly and the fracture did not involve a joint.
“I’m really shocked there wasn’t more facial trauma. If she had lost an eye, we wouldn’t be able to release her into the wild because she’s a predator and can’t survive with just one eye,” Young said. Popular science. Fortunately, “everyone agreed that this operation was worth it.”
So, the team operated on the bobcat the next morning. The operation cost more than $9,000 and took more than four hours, with two different surgeons each working on one of the broken legs at the same time. She is now back at Raven Ridge Wildlife Center and taking three different painkillers.
Taking care of a feline is not an easy task: they have to stop it from running or jumping for two months. But she is doing “fantastically,” Young said, much to the relief of the woman who accidentally hit the cat and her husband. The bobcat eats, hisses and growls more. In short, “she’s starting to act like a bobcat.”
In about five weeks, she will have to have another set of x-rays to monitor her progress, and the goal is to eventually release her back into the wild. In the meantime, drivers can take steps to try to prevent these types of incidents, particularly at this time of year. January through April is bobcat mating season, which means the animals are on the move looking for mates and dens.
“They can be a little unpredictable,” Young points out. “So take your time and be aware of your surroundings. Stay safe. If you ever encounter a situation involving wildlife, especially a potentially dangerous animal like the bobcat, be sure to contact a wildlife rehabilitator or wildlife agency for assistance.”
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