A bobcat kitten is thriving in rescue paradise after a Southwest Florida fire department rescued her from a brush fire.
When a volunteer firefighter with the Bayshore Fire Department was assisting in responding to a Charlotte County fire in May, he found a bobcat kitten crying and crawling in a pile of ashes, and affectionately named her “Ash.”
Ash was taken into the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) on Sanibel Island, where medical teams determined that she is only about 10-12 weeks old, as of Jul. 7.
CROW is a nonprofit organization “dedicated to treating the sick, injured and orphaned native and migratory wildlife of Southwest Florida,” according to a press release.
Dr. Jessica Comolli, a medical and research director and board-certified specialist in zoological medicine at Crow, said in the press release that Ash is “progressing very well following her rescue.”
“She’s gaining weight, her lungs are clear and she has shown no signs of ongoing complications from smoke exposure. While we continue to monitor her closely, things are looking very promising for her future,” Comolli said.
When Ash was first admitted to CROW, she weighed only 600 grams, which is less than 1.5 pounds.
After a few weeks of intensive care, Ash more than doubled in size, weighing more than 1,250 grams, according to the press release.
Ash gets three bottle feedings a day and is being introduced to solid food, but her weight gain is not the only component of the kitten’s recovery that wildlife staff need to consider.
To make sure that Ash does not become reliant or imprint on humans and she retains the natural behaviors needed for life in the wild, caregivers wear face coverings and limit interaction with her.
Tayeba Hussein is a breaking news reporter for The News-Press & Naples Daily News. Reach her at thussein@usatodayco.com.
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This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Bobcat kitten thriving in recovery at SW FL animal rehab clinic
Reporting by Tayeba Hussein, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Tayeba Hussein, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News | USA TODAY Network
