INVERNESS: A bobcat found injured in Inverness County is recovering under the care of Hope for Wildlife, where experts are working to ensure the animal’s full recovery over the holiday season.
“The call came in, and a police officer found it and transported it to our triage centre in Cape Breton,” Founder of Hope for Wildlife Hope Swinimer said. “Thank heavens that he stopped and gathered it in and brought it in.”
The bobcat was initially taken to a facility in Lexington, Inverness County, where it was assessed for head trauma.
“It does make this type of animal ‘easier to handle,’” Swinimer noted. Medications were administered, and the animal was stabilized before being transported to Swinimer’s primary location in Seaforth for further care.
The Lexington clinic played a crucial role in preparing the bobcat for the next stage of treatment.
“It helped with doing all the things that make it capable of making the rest of the journey down here for the surgery,” Swinimer said.
Veterinarians discovered two fractures in the animal’s front left leg during triage and are considering outsourcing the “complicated surgery,” which may require “pinning.”
Swinimer acknowledged the challenges of finding a suitable surgeon during the holiday season, but despite its injuries, the young bobcat is showing signs of resilience.
“The head trauma seems to be improving,” Swinimer said, adding that with proper care and limited movement, “she will have a really, really good chance,” and that signs of recovery are encouraging.
“Her pupils are less dilated, and she’s showing much more feistiness, which we always really respect and are really happy to see,” Swinimer said.
For those who encounter injured animals, Swinimer advises to take caution and care.
“It’s always a good idea to find a safe place to pull over and check. If there’s still life in the animal, call Hope for Wildlife and let us know. We would do our best to save each and every animal. We can’t obviously save them all, but we definitely want to try.”
She also emphasized the importance of cautious driving, especially during hours when animals are most active.
“It’s also really important to think of daylight hours. So many collisions with animals happen after dark. Slow down your driving after dark, or at dusk and dawn because that’s when animals are really active. And if you see one, that means there’s usually more.”