A young bobcat recently returned to its natural habitat in Southwest Florida thanks to a collaborative rescue effort and the generosity of Arthrex Vet Systems.
Several news outlets across the country picked up the story after the Conservancy of Southwest Florida shared the news on its website, including ABC affiliate Gulf Coast News, PBS affiliate WGCU and community newspaper Coastal Breeze News, all local to where the bobcat was found, treated and released.
The young male bobcat was recently hit by a car in Bonita Springs, not far from the CREW Wildlife and Environmental Area.
“We were pleased to be able to support the effort to save the bobcat with this donation,” said Arthrex Vet Systems Senior Product Manager Matthew Houbre. “The OrthoLine system now includes 99 plates in sizes ranging from 1.6 mm to 3.5 mm designed to fit animals from very small dogs and cats all the way up to giant breeds. It’s part of Arthrex’s commitment to supporting the health of both domestic pets and wildlife.”
“It happens far more often than we want it to,” said Kendall Carlin, DVM, a veterinarian with the Conservancy of Southwest Florida’s von Arx’s Wildlife Hospital. “Thankfully a good Samaritan scooped him off the side of the road and brought him to the Conservancy.”
The medical staff there sedated the bobcat, who is believed to be less than a year old, gave him oxygen and pain medication and discovered that his left front leg was broken, along with three of the four digits on his right front paw. They stabilized him and then took him to BluePearl in Fort Myers for surgery, which was paid for by three Conservancy donors.
“This young bobcat came to us with an acute fracture, which we reduced and then stabilized using a seven-hole straight plate and screws from the OrthoLine™ fracture management system that Arthrex donated,” said Lauren Aldrich, DVM, MS, DACVS-SA, with BluePearl. “We amputated the three injured digits to give the bobcat the best chance to be able to recover, walk and hunt again.”
Following the successful surgery, the young bobcat was taken to the von Arx Wildlife Hospital to recover for a week, before being transferred to the South Florida Wildlife Center in Fort Lauderdale while his injuries healed. He spent two months in a special outdoor enclosure that limits human interaction but kept him safe while he recovered enough to be returned to the wild.
Working with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the Conservancy released the bobcat to his natural habitat, near the location where he was found.
“This rescue is a powerful example of what’s possible when our community comes together for wildlife,” Dr. Carlin said. “We are grateful to our supporters and partners who helped give this bobcat a second chance at life.”
