This adorable baby bobcat was found all alone twice. Now he has a new home in Oregon
A baby bobcat was presumed orphaned after he was found alone in the Oregon wilderness twice, officials said.
Now the adorable baby has a permanent home at the High Desert Museum in Bend, officials said in an April 21 news release.
Well-meaning people first took him in back in October, when he weighed only 3 pounds, officials said in the news release.
Biologists with the department explained that animals will sometimes leave their babies for a short period to feed and return to them later. Officials brought him back to where he was found, hoping his mother would return, the release said.
But when someone else brought him in less than a week later, officials worried he might become habituated to humans.
“The best thing to do when discovering baby or injured wildlife is to leave the animal there and contact the local ODFW office to report it,” said museum Curator of Wildlife Jon Nelson in the release. “The best outcome is always to locate the mother so the animal can be raised and live in the wild, but ODFW is well-equipped to determine if the animal is legitimately abandoned or otherwise requires long-term human care.”
Officials aren’t sure if the yet-to-be-named bobcat was truly orphaned, but officials determined the museum would be the best spot for the little guy. The wildlife team “has expertise in caring for feline predators,” the release said.
But Museum Executive Director Dana Whitelaw said staff still has a huge responsibility on their hands.
“Although not generally a danger to humans, bobcats are also not housecats,” she said. “Our team is working with him daily to ensure he will thrive here.”
Right now, while he’s about 15.5 pounds, staff is teaching him to voluntarily crate and to participate in veterinary care. He’ll reach full size of 20 to 25 pounds in about another year, the release said.
“He has done well so far and is a smart animal who has taken quickly to training and working with wildlife staff,” the release said.
Over the next several weeks, the public can view him in the atrium where Gert the gray fox currently lives, the release said. They can’t be in there at the same time, so museum staff will rotate them.
The museum will auction off the opportunity to name him at the High Desert Rendezvous, its largest annual fundraising event, on Saturday, Aug. 26.
This story was originally published April 21, 2023 at 4:43 PM with the headline "This adorable baby bobcat was found all alone twice. Now he has a new home in Oregon."
