Autumn was only a couple of months old when he arrived in the fall of 2016. We hear many sad stories, but this one was tragic.
We were told Autumn’s sibling was struck by a car here in Minnesota. Then, when Mom went to help, she was struck and killed, too. For this little surviving baby bobcat, the world seemed to end.
Luckily, he was brought to Wildwoods Wildlife Rehabilitation in Duluth. They assured he wasn’t injured, provided supportive
care and began researching options.
The goal was to successfully “wild up” and release this bobcat kitten. But, due to his age and Minnesota winter pending, he may have had little chance of survival without a surrogate mother to help teach him. Laws also do not permit wildlife being moved across country for rehab and release.
After consulting with rehabilitation experts, Wildwoods made the decision to find Autumn a permanent home and give him the best life possible in captivity if he couldn’t be free. They contacted The Wildcat Sanctuary in hopes of placing him where he could live in a natural setting.
Life at the Sanctuary
When Autumn arrived, we were told he was a she. The first step was helping him adjust in captivity, with the hope of forming a surrogate family for him. We reached out to other sanctuaries offering a home to any other bobcat kittens in need of rescue. We wanted to provide Autumn with surrogate siblings to grow up with.
We turned to the public for help in naming this special bobcat kitten and received thousands of name suggestions. It was hard to keep up with all the names and some of the great meanings behind them. He was named AUTUMN – in honor of his debut on the fall equinox.
It wasn’t long afterward that we took in orphaned bobcat brothers Francis and Belvedere from Arizona. Both brothers were so rambunctious and playful, just what shy, reserved Autumn needed! We were happy to see them form a blended family.
Autumn and Belvedere are the most bonded of the three. They’re both much shyer and will find the highest spot, sort of secluded in their habitat, but still able to watch all the activity going on in the sanctuary. Francis sometimes joins them but he’s much more outgoing.
It’s so wonderful seeing how far Autumn has come from that tiny, orphaned bobcat who’d lost his family. Here, he found a new one.
How You Can Help
Rescuing a baby bobcat means 20+ years of care costs. As a non-profit, that’s why we started our sponsorship program. As Autumn’s sponsor parent, you’ll be a very important part of his life. Will you consider doing that for him?
Or even a one time donation toward his care helps. It’s easy to do using the buttons you see at the top of this page. Thank you!
