PIÑON CANYON MANEUVER SITE, Colo. — This orphaned bobcat kitten was found in June 2023 on Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site. Following rehabilitation at a state-licensed facility, it was returned to PCMS May 22, 2024.

Photo by Michelle Blake

FLORENCE, Colo. — The orphaned bobcat kitten found on Piñon Canyon Maneuver Siter grows strong and healthy at Wet Mountain Wildlife Rehabilitation prior to being released on PCMS May 22, 2024.

PIÑON CANYON MANEUVER SITE, Colo. —Sgt. Jerry Pack and Sgt. Jarrett Johnson prepare to release the two orphaned bobcats back into the wild May 22, 2024, at Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site after a year of rehabilitation.

PIÑON CANYON MANEUVER SITE, Colo. — Fort Carson conservation law enforcement officers (CLEOs) returned two bobcats back into the wild at Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site (PCMS) May 22, 2024, following a year of rehabilitation.

Officer Robert Look, Sgt. Jerry Pack and Sgt. Jarrett Johnson, conservation law enforcement officers with the Directorate of Emergency Services, and Michelle Blake, a Directorate of Public Works natural resource specialist at PCMS, released them in an ideal habitat with adequate food and reliable water.

Blake discovered an orphaned bobcat on during a routine bird survey at PCMS in June 2023.

“Generally, it is best to leave wildlife alone as they are rarely lost or orphaned,” she noted. “It is common for deer, elk and pronghorn to leave their young hidden in a secure location while they forage for food and then return to retrieve them. Female bobcats will often move their kittens to new dens to protect them from predators.”

Several hours passed without the mother returning for her kitten. Concerned for the lethargic and dehydrated kitten, Blake contacted Fort Carson CLEOs, who suggested taking the kitten to Wet Mountain Wildlife Rehabilitation.

The nonprofit, state licensed facility, nestled in the foothills of Florence is one of only three rehabilitation locations in Colorado that cares for larger predatory animals. Boasting a variety of spacious outdoor enclosures creatively landscaped to mimic the rescued animal’s natural habitat, the facility provides necessary medical attention while limiting interactions with humans to ensure the animals do not become habituated to people and remain truly wild.

“Rehabilitating wildlife is very labor intensive and is filled with ups and downs. I always try to remain positive and celebrate the successes,” said Cec Sanders, who founded Wet Mountain Wildlife Rehabilitation with her husband, Tom Sanders.

She said seeing the animals released back into the wild is the most rewarding part of her job.

The kitten was joined by another orphaned bobcat when it was 2 months old. Over the following months the bobcats honed hunting and climbing skills that would be essential to their survival in the wild.

The CLEOs transported the two bobcats from Wet Mountain Rehabilitation to PCMS May 22, 2024.

“Our department strives to support the wildlife populations on Fort Carson through careful management and education,” Look said.

CLEOs warn that it is important to remember that animals pose a safety risk to humans when they are sick, injured or behaving strangely. They caution that animals that are in pain or scared may bite, and there is a chance they are carrying a disease, such as rabies, that could be transmitted to humans.  Community members who encounter a sick, injured or orphaned animal should give the animal space, note its location and then contact Fort Carson Conservation Law Enforcement through Fort Carson Dispatch at 719-526-2333.