By Kevin P. Clinton Widlife Center Staff

We are often asked how we know when an animal is ready for release, especially an animal that comes in so young, like the male and female bobcat kittens we received in September of 2019.

First and foremost, our main priority is to provide these animals with the best opportunity to grow and develop so that they can survive on their own in the wild. How do we accomplish this without them becoming dependent on humans for survival or as a food source? We must respect the instinctive behaviors they have from birth. We give them ample space, limit handling, and provide the best natural settings and food sources that encourage and allow their natural and innate wild behaviors to be expressed. We set up enclosures to mimic their natural habitats so they can jump, climb, hide and make a den if they want to. We don't present food in a nice bowl for them to eat out of; food is hidden and spread throughout the enclosure in brush piles, logs, trees and in water features. A variety of foods with as many natural items as possible is given as well as live food when possible. Food presented in this way encourages natural foraging behaviors such as hunting, collecting food, learning how to eat different foods and caching food for later consumption. The bobcats were put in an outdoor enclosure as soon as they were weaned off of formula and eating on their own, drastically limiting their time around people. Being in an outdoor enclosure allows them to utilize all their senses as well. They get to hear and see sights and sounds from the woods and become accustomed to changes in weather and the seasons. The use of cameras in the enclosure provides us a way to observe them from a distance and make sure we see the survival skills necessary for them to be successful in the wild.

Once they are ready for release, we choose a site based on their natural habitat, whether there are other bobcats around for mating, if there are ample food sources and water, and whether the area is protected and away from humans as much as possible. These two bobcats are ready to go and once released, they instinctively know how to take it from there.

Enjoy this behind-the-scenes release day video:

{^youtubevideo|(width)425|(height)264|(rel)True|(autoplay)False|(fs)True|(url)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP0Iiv5hEGg^}

Release day photos: