Sky | Big Cat Rescue

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Big Cat Rescuers Bringing Female Wild Florida Bobcat to Big Cat Rescue Right Now – With 3 Brand New Babies!

March 24, 2019 ~ Just when we thought there could be nothing worse for a wild native Florida bobcat than being caught in a farmer’s trap near Orlando, we found out it can be worse: the female bobcat just delivered three kittens while in the trap! She had been caught by a trapper as a nuisance bobcat because the farmer feared she would do harm or damage his property.

It’s a beautiful Florida spring day today without a cloud in the sky, so we have named the mama bobcat Sky and her kittens Azul, Cobalt, and Indigo.

Jamie is on her way back to the sanctuary right now with the mother and kittens. We will set them up in our hospital where it is quiet and dark and rehabilitate them as a family to eventually be released back into the wild.

Jamie reports that right now Sky is ignoring the kittens, but she is freaked out by the people and noise and traveling. We will have a camera on Sky so we can be sure she is feeding the kittens.

You can donate to the care of these 4 precious bobcats here: https://big-cat-rescue.myshopify.com/products/bobcat-rehabilitation-program

Update – March 24, 2019

Within minutes of being shifted into the hospital cage Sky laid down and allowed her kittens to start nursing ❤️

Update – March 27, 2019

Kitten Update from Jamie Veronica – The kittens are doing great! All of them have gained weight since their arrival. The little boy Cobalt weighs 8.8 oz, and the girls Azul and Indigo weighed in at 7.6 and 7 oz respectively. Momma Sky is taking such good care of them and is eating well too. Cobalt is the biggest. Indigo is the smaller girl. She has a lighter patterned head and Azul has a dark patterned head.

Rehab Bobcat Sky's kittens — Rehab Bobcat Sky’s kittens

Update from Dr. Justin – Yesterday examined 3 new bobcat kittens that were born in a live trap. They all appear healthy no cleft palates/ heart murmurs etc… We collected weights and identified sexes (1-male 2-females ). As soon as we know mom is producing milk and taking care of the babies well( by monitoring their weight over the next week ). She will be left alone. We do not talk around the rehab animals and never touch them unless Veterinary related exams.

Update March 29, 2019

Momma Sky and babies Cobalt, Azul, and Inigo are all doing well.

Update & Overview Posted 4/30/2019

After spending a few weeks in our recovery hospital, it was time for rehab bobcat Sky and her kittens, Cobalt, Indigo, and Azul to go to our outdoor rehab area. The babies are starting to explore their new space, and you can catch it all live at explore.org/Bigcatrescue.

Return to Freedom in the Wild May 15, 2019

Sky and her family are ready for the big outdoors. They are being released this afternoon!

Sky and her kittens are on their way to freedom! We think her recent pacing is nature telling her it’s time to abandon the den and head out with her meat-eating kittens so that they aren’t luring predators to the old den site. We have an amazing release site for her with lots and lots of prey. They left a little earlier today for their forever home in the wild. We never release specifics on release locations, but this is a place where we have been before and know the people and where she will have an amazing legacy.

Sky and her babies are going free! The last 24 hours have shown that momma Sky is ready to continue raising Azul, Indigo, and Cobalt in the wild! They will all be released together on this beautiful day!

A message from Jamie: Sky’s babies have started to eat whole prey, and she has shown us over the past two days she is ready to move them to a new location. (possibly to find more prey as she only receives a certain amount each day, she may think she needs to move to a site with more options). We are taking them to a wonderful spot that has an abundance of food and water and is protected from hunting. The trip will take a few hours so we will be transporting Sky in a separate crate from her kittens so she does not accidentally harm them. Once at the release site we will leave both transport crates so they can continue to use them as a den site. This release will be different in that we will just open the doors and leave. We will not get to see them leave the crates. We want them to come out on their own timing and feel comfortable continuing to use the crate as a home until they find a new den site. We will monitor the area with camera traps and check on the photos in about a week. Sky is a great mom and we have no concerns with her being able to establish a new territory with her family. Thank you, everyone, for helping us keep an eye on this beautiful bobcat fam!

Carole Baskin: Sky and her kittens are on their way to freedom! We think her recent pacing is nature telling her it’s time to abandon the den and head out with her meat-eating kittens so that they aren’t luring predators to the old den site. We have an amazing release site for her with lots and lots of prey. They are leaving now for their forever home in the wild.

Release Time has Arrived 5-14-2019

Unloading Sky and kittens den crate.

Rolling the family to their new home.

A purr-fect place for a momma bobcat and her babies.

The den crate tucked into the palmettos. A free meal and water dish were left to supplement their transition to life in the wild.

Show Comments (2)

Otterwoman

So she just lets you reach in the cage and take her babies out and weigh them every week?
- April 11, 2019
- Reply
- BCR
  
  Sky is shut into the second part of her cage so rehabber can safely reach the kittens for monitoring.
  April 13, 2019