On 8 November, WILD Florida Rescue (WFR), an American organisation dedicated to saving wild animals, received an unusual call. A chicken breeder came across a mysterious intruder in his coop - so emaciated that he wasn't sure what kind of animal it was.
He suspected it was a bobcat that had entered the coop in search of prey. However, the truth turned out to be much more moving - the wild cat wasn't hunting, but desperately needed help itself.
Uninvited guest in the chicken coop
WFR rescuers confirmed that there was indeed a bobcat in the coop, but it was in a tragic condition. Severely malnourished, weak and with a severe case of mange, it had no chance of obtaining food on its own.
"Despite its best efforts, it hadn't caught a single chicken", WFR rescuers reported. "Its fur was so damaged by the disease that it had lost its characteristic stripes and spots".
Bobcat under specialist care
It turned out that the exhausted predator was a female bobcat in critical condition. She was almost half the size of a healthy specimen and had been nearly blinded by mange. Rescuers immediately began intensive treatment.
The first step was to strengthen her body with a proper diet and treat the skin condition. Fortunately, initial tests showed that the bobcat's condition was reversible.
"She still has a long way to go, but her will to live is remarkable" , the animal's carers wrote on social media.
Hope for return to nature
If rehabilitation goes well, the bobcat will regain her strength and be able to return to the wild - this time to a place where she'll find natural prey and won't be forced to approach human settlements.
"We want to ensure she ends up in a safe environment where she won't be threatened by hunger and disease again", the organisation reported.
Rescuers are doing everything to give this brave predator a chance at a new life - away from chicken coops, in her natural home.
