Over Easter weekend, a mother Bobcat and her two kittens were captured just outside of a home owner’s front door. Fearing for the safety of his guests, his pets, and the mother with new kittens, he called 1st Response Wildlife who came and free-snared the mother, collected the kittens, moved them miles from the birthing area and prepared to provide a "soft release," in a new location. (You will see, in the video below, that these kittens do not yet have their eyes open and, you can just imagine, that the mother will fight to protect them if she felt they were being challenged by children, pets, or visitors to this home owner’s residence!)
What follows is an example of a careful safe method of moving a family to a new location in what is called a “soft release.” This approach allows for the family to function in a safe environment, acclimate to a new location-complete with sights, sounds, food source, and no disruption in the child rearing by the mother.
The first step in the process was to move the mother to a large transition kennel, complete with water, her kittens and food. At the same time, a focus on providing a den environment, with a covering of the kennel calmed the mother down and, within a few minutes, she had begun nursing her young again.
For a few days, she was provided food and water and the activities of bonding with her young continued while 1st Response Wildlife searched for a safe place to release the family.
After a new location was found, the babies were removed for the trip to a new location. Below, you see the mother, a bit apprehensive for a move and without her kittens, and the transfer kennel loaded, with the mother, ready to travel to the “soft release,” location.
Now you see the mother, in the transfer kennel, loaded and ready to travel to her new family location.
The kittens are carefully moved in the video below, to a transfer kennel that is housed inside the truck, in order to keep them safe, calm, and in a controlled environment.
Here they are in their small kennel, ready for transport inside the temperature controlled environment of the truck.
The location, selected below, was ideal because it offered a safe location, access to water, lots of observed natural prey for a bobcat family, and in a quiet setting. Note that transfer kennel is covered to allow sounds, smells, and some visual access to the surroundings but, it also is covered extensively to keep the family feeling as safe as they would be in a hillside den.
Food and water were provided for several days. This even included euthanized pack rats, etc., which are common to the area where the release is set.
After almost a week, the door to the kennel is left open 8-13 inches. This allows the mother to feel comfortable leaving her kittens to hunt and return with food from the surrounding area.
After 2-3 more days, when the location was checked, the mother and kittens had left the security of their temporary home and she had found a new den that was nearby. Note the door is ajar. It allowed for exit and entrance for the mother while she hunted and searched for a new den or equivalent. Eventually, the family found a new home and the temporary transition kennel was removed.
This was a great example of 1st Response Wildlife helping a home owner with what could have been a dangerous situation for children, pets, and guests, while, at the same time ensuring that a Bobcat mother and her kittens would continue as a family unit and acclimate to a new location.
If you have any Bobcats, Raccoons, Ringtails, Skunks, or other animals which may potentially cause a problem for you, your pets, your guests, or even your renters, please give 1st Response Wildlife a call and discuss options for dealing with them.
Thanks for considering 1st Response Wildlife
Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517
Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, hawks, ducks, squirrels (ardilla), peacocks, coatimundi (gato solo), skunks (mofeta), exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7. Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children or have an exotic sighting in your neighborhood. 520-260-9517 Thanks!
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