@biologistimo Thank you for your follow-up questions and concern for this young bobcat. We reached out to our conservation officer to get some additional details about the animal and why he chose to release it. (1/11)
@biologistimo The first time the bobcat visited the chicken coop, our officer was on another call, and a local sheriff's deputy responded. Our officer just asked him to open the chicken coop and let the cat go. (It hadn't killed any chickens at that point.) (2/11)
@biologistimo Our officer hoped it would leave the coop and head toward the nearby fields and its mother. It ran under the family's house instead. Our officer asked the homeowner to set up a live trap. We were hoping to recapture it, the mother and any siblings. (3/11)
@biologistimo The next day, our officer got a call from the homeowner. He'd trapped the young bobcat, and it had killed a chicken. It was the only animal trapped. Our officer believes the mother was killed at some point in the days or weeks before. (4/11)
@biologistimo Our officer assessed the cat carefully. It was in good condition, very mobile and able to kill and eat other animals. Although it was young, it appeared close to the age where it could survive without its mother. (5/11)
@biologistimo Our officer took the cat home and fed it some turkey (it was late on Thanksgiving Day) and then the next day (Nov. 23) drove it about 20 miles from the original capture location. He released it in an area that had readily available water, cottontail rabbits and squirrels. (6/11)
@biologistimo The next time the cat turned up was four days later (Nov. 27) at a remote home, about 8 miles from the first release location. It got into a doghouse in a fenced-in area and couldn't get out. The homeowners called our officer. (7/11)
@biologistimo He was able to identify it as the same bobcat immediately. Not only did it have the same markings, size and attitude, but it also had a small, distinctive patch of fur by its ear that looked like it might have tree sap in it. (8/11)
@biologistimo He was able to identify the path the bobcat took — even crossing a nearby mountain — to travel 8 miles over a four-day span. Again, the cat appeared well-fed and healthy. (9/11)
@biologistimo Before releasing it the second time, our officer left it an eagle-killed pheasant and some roadkill deer, and made sure that it was eating well. We are a bit concerned, however, that it keeps gravitating toward people, homes, pets and livestock. (10/11)
@biologistimo If we get another call about it visiting someone's home or farm, we will look for a rehabilitation facility that is willing to take it. Thanks again for your questions and for caring about this young bobcat! (11/11)
