BOBCAT, NOW HEALED FROM INJURIES, RELEASED IN MISSION TRAILS PARK
A bobcat, believed to have been injured when it was hit by a car, bounded to freedom Wednesday in Mission Trails Regional Park after briefly pausing at the open door of the transport crate.
The cat, an adult male, had received three weeks of medical care and support from the San Diego Humane Society before being cleared to be released.
Video of the release showed the bobcat slowly emerging from the crate, looking around for a good 15 seconds before running up a nearby hill and disappearing into trees and brush.
The release location in the park was within 10 miles from where the injured animal was found Jan. 18 in the Kearny Mesa area, said Andy Blue, campus director of San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center.
A resident found the bobcat lying in a front yard and called for help. Humane Law Enforcement officers responded and transported the animal to an emergency veterinarian in Encinitas, where it was examined and given care overnight.
The next day the bobcat was moved to the Pilar & Chuck Bahde Wildlife Center
in San Diego, where veterinarians administered pain medications and treated the cat for scrapes and minor bruises.
The injuries indicated it had likely been hit by a car, officials said.
After it was stabilized, the bobcat was moved to the Ramona Wildlife Center, where staff specialize in caring for native apex predators, such as bobcats, coyotes and bears. A broken tooth was discovered when a center staff member performed a dental exam and was subsequently extracted, Blue said.
Authorities believe the animal’s tooth was broken when it was hit.
Once the bobcat was cleared medically, the animal was monitored by staff to ensure it could feed on its own.
“Seeing this bobcat return to the wild is what it’s all about for us,” Blue said in a statement.
Blue said 10 bobcats came into the Humane Society’s care last year, and six were rehabilitated and released. Two died and two young bobcats that came from Imperial County remain at the Ramona facility. They are expected to be released when they are older.