Two late-season bobcat kittens are in round-the-clock care
Two bobcat kittens found after their den was disturbed near Chatham are being bottle-fed around the clock at the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center in Roanoke.
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Two bobcat kittens whose den was disturbed during land clearing in Chatham are in round-the-clock care at the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center in Roanoke, WSLS reported. They arrived September 28 at about five days old, eyes still shut. The eyes opened about 10 days later. Founder Sabrina Garvin said a late-September arrival is unusual. Bobcats are typically born in the spring, and the center does not know why this litter came so late.
Garvin and her husband, Lucky, split the overnight bottles. Caregivers wear masks and keep quiet so the kittens do not habituate. Garvin said bobcat kittens can get used to people in a matter of days, which is why the goal is to keep them wild enough to leave.
For the classroom
Two bobcat kittens are being cared for at the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center in Roanoke. Rescuers found them near Chatham after land clearing disturbed their den. They arrived on September 28, when they were about five days old and their eyes were still closed. Bobcats are usually born in the spring, so this pair is unusually late. President Sabrina Garvin and her husband, Lucky, take turns with overnight bottles. Caregivers wear masks and stay quiet so the kittens do not get used to people and can go back to the wild.
- Why should people stay quiet around a wild kitten they are feeding?
- How is caring for a bobcat kitten different from caring for a house cat?
- What should someone do if they find a wild animal baby whose den was disturbed?
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