- May 22, 2020
Beautiful Trip is one of our tragic cases. We put his DOB at approx March 1st 2015 (We like to give them a birthdate even if we do not know one) arriving at Mystic Jungle March 31st 2018.
On April 24th 2018 we received a call from a concerned citizen (we are also wildlife rehabbers) regarding an “injured bobcat” that was hanging out very close to the residence. While are not licensed to remove nusiance animals, in this case the report was of one injured.
We immediately went to the location and placed a live trap. We did not make ANY attempt to camoflauge our smell or really even hide the trap that much itself. We even placed it within 50 ft of the residence. I did not want to remove an animal that was capable of surviving and my thought process the caging and the environment reeked of mankind. This cat would have to have been DESPERATE for food (I used a raw chicken drumstick, straight from the grocery store) to even consider going into that trap.
We switched out the bait and checked the trap every day, then on April 31st we got the call from the property owner that he was indeed in the trap.
When staff arrived, it was apparent that Trip was not injured. He was horrifically maimed. He is missing is left front leg. Both Fish and Game and our veterinarian that this is a result of either a snare (legal) or steel jaw (illegal) trap and he either wrung his leg off or chewed it off in an effort to escape and live.
It was the conclusion by FFWC that he could either be euthanized or released to permanent sanctuary here at the Jungle. Had it been a back leg, he stood a chance at surviving, but Bobcats need both fronts to fend off attacks from other predators, to climb and to grab prey in the chase. And we do not believe in better dead than fed here at the Jungle. And I am sure, when you see Trip on tour, he will tell you he agrees as he has settled beautifully to the Jungle life