Weak bobcat kitten found ‘shaking’ and clinging to tree. Search is on to find sibling
A community of “caring” residents is racing the clock to find the last bobcat kitten of an orphaned litter in Colorado.
It’s been about a week since a resident noticed five baby bobcats hanging around their Louisville backyard July 19 — and a lactating female bobcat was found dead on a nearby road, wildlife rescue officials said in a July 21 Facebook post.
The area is about 8 miles southwest of Boulder and 20 miles northwest of Denver.
Animal Control officers with Louisville Police managed to trap three of the kittens and took them to the Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, officials said.
A few days later, someone noticed a scared bobcat kitten “clinging to (a tree) and shaking,” officials said in the post.
“He was likely beginning to weaken after days without his mother,” officials said. “A whole community of folks rallied together to help this young one.”
A tree care technician worked with a Boulder County Sheriff’s deputy to coax the kitten from the tree, officials said. The kitten ended up falling but recovered just fine, officials said.
The four rescued kittens were reunited at the wildlife center, but the runt of the litter didn’t make it, officials said.
“Sadly, despite receiving the best nutrition and medical care possible, the first kitten that came to us passed away overnight,” officials said in a July 25 follow-up post on Facebook. “However, she was the runt of the litter and much lighter than her littermates. We suspect that there may have been some underlying health issues that contributed to her rapid and unexpected decline.”
Officials at the center are still hoping to reunite the last kitten with its littermates.
“The other three kittens in our care (including the one that fell from the tree during his rescue) are thriving, and we will do everything we can to ensure that they continue to do so,” officials said.
Photos posted to Facebook show the adorable kittens snuggled up together in their enclosures.
Someone did spot the fifth kitten recently, and the wildlife center is working with the sheriff’s office and animal control to try to catch it, officials said.
They’re asking the public not to approach or try to catch the kitten if anyone spots it.
“Despite their overwhelming cuteness, these kittens are still wild and may carry communicable diseases,” officials said.
Anyone who spots the kitten should text the location where they saw it to Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center at 720-722-3088, call Louisville Animal Control at 303-666-8634 or Boulder County Animal Control at 303-441-4444.
“Each day the kitten in the wild goes without its mother, the chances of survival decrease,” officials said. “Let’s pull together once more and help this bob kitten in need!”
This story was originally published July 26, 2023 at 3:54 PM with the headline "Weak bobcat kitten found ‘shaking’ and clinging to tree. Search is on to find sibling."
