Lakota
Male Bobcat
DOB appx 3/1/13
Rescued: 3/23/17
Lakota is a male bobcat who was born in 2013 and sent to the Mobile Zoo in Alabama along with another bobcat named Sioux. Some say they were taken from the wild, and that they are siblings, but no one seems to know for sure. What we do know is that the zoo owner, John Hightower, was arrested on 28 counts of animal cruelty. The Mobile County Animal Control seized the starving, neglected animals to send them to proper sanctuaries.
At its peak the Mobile Zoo housed more than 75 animals. In addition to lions and tigers there were bears, monkeys and birds. USDA had repeatedly cited the zoo for rotten food in broken down freezers and rotted meat in the enclosures with the lions and tigers. We don’t know where all the other animals ended up, but thankfully the cages are all empty now. We know a serval was supposed to be rescued, along with Sioux and Lakota, but Hightower allegedly transferred the cat across state lines to a friend to hide him.
When Lakota arrived in 2017 he was grossly underweight and fearful of people. Lakota loves to eat and has discovered that enrichment can be a LOT of fun; especially if it includes his favorite spices.
When injured or orphaned native Florida bobcats come to us we rehab them for release back to the wild. But if they are not known to be Florida bobcats, or they have become too acclimated to people, we cannot release them. Because Lakota’s heritage is unknown and he spent his first 4 years in a zoo surrounded by people he is not a candidate for release.
Lakota LOVES enrichment!
Rescue Photos & Story
3/23/2017
Link to his rescue photos & video: https://bigcatrescue.org/rescue-lakota-sioux/
Lakota Gets ‘Fixed’ 3/27/2017
In their previous home Lakota and Sioux lived together. We’d like to reunite them, however, since we do not do any breeding here at Big Cat Rescue we cannot allow them together until they have been fixed. One of our amazing volunteer vets came in today to neuter Lakota and spay Sioux so they can be reunited. Until they both are fully recovered they will live as neighbors. After they both recover from their surgeries we will give them the choice whether they want to live together or not. If they do choose to live together we will make sure they have ample space and multiple dens so if they have days they want to be alone they will have enough space to have some time alone.
VIDEO: Lakota and Sioux to see the vet
Catching Lakota and Sioux to see the vet today. Watch LIVE over at BigCatRescue.org/vet Help fund these life saving surgeries by buying great bobcat items here: https://big-cat-rescue.myshopify.com/search?q=bobcat
VIDEO: Windsong Memorial Hospital Surgery Room Part 1
VIDEO: Windsong Memorial Hospital Surgery Room Part 2
Lakota Bobcat is getting neutered.
Keeper Notes for their first week at BCR March 2017
When they were first put in their enclosure upon arrival at Big Cat Rescue, Sioux was the first one out to explore and mark her new home. Lakota was more cautious and preferred to stay in hiding in the carrier for a while.
Lakota was missing a lot of fur when he was rescued, but it’s probably just a flea infestation. The vets will find out soon if that is the case. In fact, the vets will do a skin scraping to check for mange, ringworm, etc. All of our cats are treated monthly to prevent fleas, but most places don’t help the cats that way because it is pretty expensive to do every month. We feel it is an important part of their care.
By his second day here he had climbed the trees to the very top, all the way to the roof. He stayed up there looking down on the keepers and the tour. He has marked everything and found all the good hiding spots.
Sponsor / Adopt Lakota
Your sponsorship helps us provide for the needs of the cats. There are multiple levels of sponsorship to choose from.
You can sponsor Lakota for an entire year for a one time fee of $25. That sponsor kit includes:
All kits include the following appreciation gifts:
– Four page color fact sheet about your chosen species
– Big Cat Rescue logo window decal
– Registration Card you use to select the cat of your choice. The card has the link to our website to see the cats and their bios
– 8×10 color photo of the cat you choose to sponsor with the cat name and your name as sponsor printed on it
There are additional levels of sponsorship, if you’d like to do that. Each level includes more benefits. The link below will take you to a page showing those additional goodies.
https://big-cat-rescue.myshopify.com/products/bobcat-sponsorship
More Info:
Learn more about bobcats in general: https://bigcatrescue.org/bobcat-facts/
Meet the rest of the cats that live at Big Cat Rescue: https://bigcatrescue.org/catbio/
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