Baby bobcat was euthanized despite public outcry to send her to wildlife preserve

18
49
Spread the love

In Springfield, Missouri, a three-week-old bobcat kitten was euthanized on Wednesday despite the public’s outcry to spare the animal’s life and send her to a preserve where she would have been raised, weaned and eventually freed out into the forest to live her life. According to the News Leader,  authorities insisted state law stated wild animals cannot be quarantined like domestic pets, should there be a concern about rabies.

The tiny bobcat’s story became news one week ago when a property owner had been bulldozing his property and found the kitten. The man called the Missouri Conservation Department, who told him to call Georgia Lafita, a certified wildlife rehabilitator. Georgia said she would be glad to care for the kitten for 12-weeks, until it could be weaned and then freed back into the wild. Another bobcat at the facility could teach the little one how to hunt. The man brought the kitten to Georgia’s home, but not before he reached into the crate and the tiny frightened kitten bit him on his finger in self-defense. Although she only had four teeth, the injury broke the skin. It was suggested the man consult a physician about the bite. Sadly, that one tiny bite was the beginning of the end for an innocent, wild creature.

Georgia named the kitten Lamia and wouldn’t let anyone else hold her as she was being bottle-fed; taking no chances the kitten would have a human imprint which would have made her a victim of hunting in the years to come. The  Springfield-Greene County Health Department, however had other ideas and insisted the kitten be euthanized and her severed head sent to state officials in Jefferson City to be tested for rabies.

“I’m crushed. That cat is perfectly healthy. Her eyes are clear. She has lots of energy, shows no signs of illness at all,” Georgia told the News-Leader when they visited her home on Tuesday.

On Wednesday morning a conservation agent removed the kitten from Georgia’s home. She had fed the kitten her final bottle before she was whisked away forever. Big Cat Rescue had offered to take the kitten and pay for all the rabies shots the man needed – just in case. That didn’t work out, however since the man had recently undergone heart surgery.

And as every animal advocate mourns the death of an innocent wild animal baby, Georgia wants to remind everyone not to “handle wildlife. ” Should the situation of wounded wildlife come into someone’s purview, call a specialist – preferably a professional from a licensed wildlife sanctuary to help.

Rest in peace little Lamia. We are so sorry that humans let you down.

Photo of baby bobcat was euthanized via Big Cat Rescue.

Read the baby bobcat’s original story here.


Read about the dog who had been dead and  curled up in his dog house – no one ever checked on him.Dog curled up and died in dog house


Spread the love

18 COMMENTS

  1. Oh NO, they didn’t! What a waste of life, I bet the poor man that tried to save her is heartbroken. Shame on them there must have been another way to deal with this than to just kill!

    • That baby didn’t have rabies and they knew it. They just wanted to “exercise their power” and kill it anyway. God only knows how much I hate humans.

  2. That is the most wretched excuse to kill an animal…. she was already in the care of a person who was going to release her once she was of age. I think that people just look for reasons to kill animals and I DO NOT GET IT!! We have invaded their land, be tolerant and just move them. Big Cat Rescue….. hope NO ONE ELSE TRUSTS you with any animal at all!!!!!

    • Big Cat Rescue had offered to take the kitten and pay for the rabies shots, so why is it their fault? I don’t understand either, they couldn’t give the guy the rabies shots since he had heart surgery recently. How does this work now if the cat did have rabies, the man has to die because he can’t take the rabies shots? Gives you something to think about, doesn’t it? This whole thing DOESN’T make any sense to me!

    • It wasn’t Big Cat Rescue that killed the bobcat kitten. The decision to kill this innocent kitten was made by Springfield-Greene County Health Department, and done by them too, so put them on your protest list.

    • Really? Did you read this? Big Cat Rescue is not who did this. They are who offered to assist and were not allowed to do so. They are an excellent organization that takes care of many, many big and small cats.

  3. Stupid power mongers that don’t really care for wildlife ! It doesn’t even make sense wildlife cannot be quarantined! She was just a frightened baby outrageous results! Makes me sick!

  4. They can’t think for themselves. They are brainless robots who follow orders because they are incapable of having an original thought, or the ability to have an original thought. They are like some school teachers I knew when I was in the school system.

  5. This doesn’t make sense. I was scratched by a feral stray cat and the CDC just told me to quarantine the cat for 10 days and if after 10 days the cat was still healthy I could release it. Nothing more to do. I would go through rabies shots before having an animal destroyed. This was so cruel and unnecessary.

  6. Big cat rescue offered to pay for the man’s rabies shots, it was the Dept of health who insisted on killing the kitten.

  7. R.I.P innocent baby, so sick of all the killing, you did nothing wrong. i have been bitten by ferel kittens just because they are afraid of humans and have never had any problems from the bites. Animals also have a right to live.

  8. State of Missouri, YOU KNOW DAMN GOOD AND WELL THAT THAT KITTEN DIDN’T HAVE RABIES!!! Just another excuse to murder wildlife. Using the excuse of STATE LAWS, SUCKS. Change them and quit this murder spree. This decision was made by Springfield-Greene County Health Department ONLY. No passing the buck here. YOU made the decision and YOU carried it out. Should be REALLY PROUD OF YOURSELF. Disgusting HUMANS. Explain that to God, if you meet him. Truly pissed!!!!!!!

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here