Early in June, Daniel Pierce was biking along the Sawyer Camp trail above Crystal Springs Reservoir (near Burlingame) when he was startled to come upon a bobcat kitten along the wayside. The tiny animal was weak, starving, possibly sick and could barely stand. Daniel was worried that the kitten was orphaned and might die if not rescued. He quickly called several local wildlife centers for advice on how to handle the situation and was told to contact the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center in Morgan Hill because WERC is nationally renowned for rehabilitating orphaned bobcat kittens.
Serendipitously, two of WERC’s other bobcats had an appointment for routine check-ups and vaccinations the next morning with Dr. Suzanne Colbert. Daniel drove from Belmont to Gilroy to bring in little “Crystal,” as she became known. Crystal’s examination established that she was about 8 weeks old and weighed just 1.5 pounds, less than half of what a healthy bobcat her age should have weighed. To add insult to injury, there was a large tick attached to the middle of her forehead. Fortunately, tests for diseases such as feline leukemia were negative and all she really needed was TLC and lots of nutritious food.
For her first month at WERC, Crystal was kept separate from the two older bobcats (who were being treated for internal parasites) and cared for in an outdoor “nursery” by volunteers who wore a full-body bobcat costume and brought her small rodents to eat. Because wild bobcat kittens play a great deal with each other, which socializes them and helps them learn hunting and other survival skills, the surrogate mother engaged Crystal in bobcat “games” such as chasing turkey feathers and twigs. However, since she was an older kitten when rescued, she had already developed feral instincts and always remained wary of the faux mom.
When she was 13 weeks old, Crystal was transferred to the large bobcat enclosure to join 15-week-old Morty (from Monterey) and 22-week-old Tilden (from Berkeley). The three young bobcats became friends, sleeping together on their ledge and chasing each other playfully. With lots of room to roam, jump and run, Crystal built up her strength and weight with a diet of four large rodents a day. To ensure she was well on the road to health and remained that way once she was released, Crystal was vaccinated against rabies and other feline diseases.
Tilden was released Sept. 6 and Morty Oct. 11, back to their original habitats. By early November, when she was 7 months old and weighed a healthy, robust 15 pounds, it was time for Crystal to return home, too. In order to preserve the genetic integrity of the species and for the animal’s best chance at survival, it was important to release the bobcats as near as possible to where they were found. WERC contacted the San Francisco Watershed Department, which owns and manages the state fish and game refuge where Crystal was found. After receiving permission, the next step was to wait for a clear weather forecast, due to weeks of on-and-off rain.
On Nov. 12, the rain had dried and the sun was shining brightly behind scattered clouds. Crystal was driven 60 miles from Morgan Hill and then miles further into the remote wilderness, far from trails, human habitation and traffic.
As her rescuer proudly watched, Crystal cautiously stepped out of the carrying kennel, gazed around at her new-but-familiar surroundings, then bound away to precious freedom.
