"Bobbi" the Bobcat
Updated: Jul 5
Day One
After a few days of staking out, tracking her steps, and strategically placing a trap, we were finally able to capture the bobcat from Chaparral that had been the talk of social media for over a week. We'd been made aware of a bobcat with a trap on her foot approximately a week prior, and were in communication with Alberta Fish and Wildlife about the situation and were given the go-ahead to trap her and bring her back to the centre for rehabilitation.
Our Director of Wildlife Care and Services, Melanie Whalen, is an expert trapper and her experience working in wildlife research is what enabled her to understand how the bobcat would behave in such a situation, thus allowing for a successful and speedy trap. Our volunteers and the members of the Chaparral community were also an integral part of the whole process, making sure we were constantly updated on her sightings.
Once on site, the bobcat was sedated and the trap was removed from her foot. Our vet, vet tech, and wildlife rehabbers started her examination and were amazed to find there were no fractures or breaks. She successfully underwent surgery to repair and fully clean the wound on her paw caused by the trap.
We are optimistic about her recovery and will continue to update her progress here.
(just out of surgery and still a bit wobbly.)
Â
Day Five Update
It has been a few days since "Bobbi" from Chaparral, our bobcat patient was first treated for her injuries from the trap. Her bandage was removed today to reassess her wound.
The paw is developing granulation tissue (developing more skin to fill in the wound) and that's great news, as it means that the wound is healing. She'll need a couple of stitches tightened up and our vet will add one more stitch to keep things healing up nicely. It looks like all her toes are going to be alright and she will not end up losing any digits! Overall, other than potentially losing a nail, which will grow back and won't affect her ability to retract it, we are optimistic that she will be able to be released after her ordeal.
The healing process will be slow, but her blood work has come back normal, which shows us that she can handle the anesthetic. She will likely need two more sedations/surgeries to remove her stitches and change her bandages.
Keep following this post for more updates.
You can help us care for "Bobbi" from Chaparral, by donating funds to help cover her food, medication, and care.
Â
Day Forty Five Update
Bobbi has now been in our care for just over a month and we are hopeful her treatment stage is completed and she's now moving into full recovery and assessment phase.
Over the past month, Bobbi has had reconstruction surgery on her paw as well as most recently dental surgery to fix a broken tooth, likely the result of gnawing at the trap while it was on her foot.
In a couple of weeks, Bobbi will be moved to an outdoor enclosure, where our team will be able to assess her climbing, jumping, and hunting abilities.
For right now, Bobbi is still recovering nicely from her final surgeries and eating and resting like a queen!
Bobbi waking up after dental surgery
It costs around $6000 a month to cover Bobbi's food, medications, treatment, and care.
Please consider donating toward her care today.
Â
Bobbi is continuing her amazing recovery
and has been moved to a mixed indoor-outdoor enclosure where she can practice jumping and climbing, as well as hide away inside if she wants to. Her fantastic rehabilitation has been thanks to the countless number of people rooting for to see her pull through.
Check out our collaboration with the University of Calgary's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.
Â
In late spring, Bobbi was transferred to the Cochrane Ecological Institute to be able to further assess her hunting and climbing abilities in a more extensive area. She's currently living in a large, controlled space where she can be monitored regularly, complete with indoor and outdoor enclosures. We are so pleased with how well Bobbi has recovered from her surgeries, and how much she is using her foot now.
Thank you to everyone who has helped Bobbi, from reporting the situation while she still had the trap on her foot, to those who assisted with her surgeries, to those who donated to her care, and those who continue to care for her.
Bobbi sure is one blessed bobcat!
Bobbi exploring her outdoor area in the woods