Baby bobcat boy finds new home in Oregon museum

BEND, Ore. (KATU) — Bend's High Desert Museum has announced that a male bobcat kitten is under its care after it was taken from the wild by civilians

The kitten, approximately 8 months old, is now in the permanent care of the High Desert Museum.

The Museum says the bobcat arrived in October weighing less than 3 pounds.

According to the HDM, people near Portland, Oregon removed the kitten from the wild and reached out to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW). ODWF biologists told them that animals like bobcats will often leave their young for a period of time to feed, only to return later. ODFW officials placed the bobcat back where he was found in the hope that his mother would return.

“The best thing to do when discovering baby or injured wildlife is leave the animal there and contact the local ODFW office to report it,” said Museum Curator of Wildlife Jon Nelson. “

The best outcome is always to locate the mother so the animal can be raised and live in the wild, but ODFW is well-equipped to determine if the animal is legitimately abandoned or otherwise requires long-term human care.

However, the kitten was brought back to the ODFW six days later by a different individual, so ODFW officials considered other options.

The Museum says it's unknown whether the bobcat was truly orphaned or was simply separated from its parents by a "well-meaning" citizen.

In either case, states the Museum, the kitten could not be returned safely to the original location - and bobcat rehabilitation isn't generally allowed in Oregon in order to avoid releasing human-familiar predators into the environment.

Seeking other options, ODFW then placed him at the High Desert Museum.

The bobcat currently weighs 15 1/2 pounds and the Museum says he is thriving in his new environment. They say he is very intelligent and good at training.

The public will begin to get to see the yet-to-be-named kitten periodically in the Museum atrium across from the permanent Spirit of the West exhibition. Yet to be named, a winner at the Museum's yearly fundraiser will be able to give him a name.