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LINDA COHAN ©2006
Little Boy, one of three bobcats who will soon be enjoying an expansive new enclosure at the ranch. |
The three rescued bobcats at the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch in Murchison, Texas, will soon be enjoying a new habitat four times the size of their current living quarters, thanks to a gift from longtime ranch supporter Pamela Vincent of California. Ms. Vincent has been a great friend to The Fund for Animals and on her visits to Black Beauty Ranch has become particularly fond of the bobcats.
General, Bob, and Little Boy are unrelated male bobcats who each came to the ranch with rocky pasts (read their stories below). While they have lived at the ranch for years in an enclosure that adequately met their needs, we always aim to do better for our residents and help them really enjoy life. Ms. Vincent's generous gift will enrich the lives of these three lucky bobcats by giving them a tremendous amount of space to exercise their natural instincts.
General, Bob and Little Boy
- General had been someone's exotic pet in the Dallas, Texas, area. According to records, he escaped from his owner and killed a dog. Police were called and attempted to kill General but were unsuccessful. He was finally caught and placed at the ranch in 1992.
- Bob, who arrived a year later at approximately eight weeks of age, was the only survivor of an accident in which a tractor crushed his family's den near Texarkana, Texas. A game warden brought him to a wildlife rehabilitator, who stabilized him. Bob could not be released back to the wild, but he found a home at Black Beauty.
- Little Boy was brought to the ranch around 2002 by a wildlife rehabilitator. He also could not survive in the wild, but he was welcomed at the ranch, where the other two captive bobcats could keep him company.
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LINDA COHAN ©2006
Bob is the most friendly of the group. |
The common thread in each of the bobcats' pasts was that they had become too accustomed to humans to live a life in the wild.
General, Bob, and Little Boy recognize humans as providers of food and shelter—stunting their survival skills. This dependence generally happens when very young animals are raised by or around humans, but it doesn't mean they are safe to be around. While imprinted wild animals are incapable of living in the wild, they still have natural instincts—which is exactly why many wild animals raised by humans end up in sanctuaries. Bobcats can deliver deep, dangerous bites, and don't make suitable pets—nor do other wild or exotic animals.
Finding appropriate homes for wild animals becomes difficult or impossible, and life in the wild is always preferred over captivity. General, Bob and Little Boy are fortunate to have found sanctuary for life at the ranch, now in an expansive yard so generously provided by Ms. Vincent. As caretakers for the bobcats, we are grateful for her support.
More About Bobcats
Felis rufus—or the bobcat—is generally a solitary animal as an adult, although female bobcats raising young are an exception.
Bobcats reside geographically throughout most of the United States, but they require large tracts of undisturbed habitat and prefer forested areas, mountainous areas, and dense brush land. This preference keeps sightings of bobcats in the wild to a minimum, making their lives rather secretive.
Their beautiful fur has made them targets of trappers for decades. Some states also allow the trophy hunting of bobcats, with packs of radio-collared dogs to chase the bobcats into trees for the hunter to shoot them at point-blank range.
Note: General was euthanized on December 14, 2007, after suffering from kidney failure.
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Posted September 25, 2007
