An adorable baby bobcat is on the loose in Lakeland.
Big Cat Rescue of Tampa says a mother bobcat was crossing Harden Boulevard when it was hit and killed. Unfortunately, it left behind a 2-3 month old kitten.
Experts say while it is a wild animal, it may not be able to survive on its own at such a young age.
“He probably doesn't know how to properly fend for himself,” a trapper from SPCA Florida said.
Bruce Nance is a trapper with SPCA and is trying to help locate the little cat.
The mother was killed Friday, July 21st and they have been looking ever since.
The two pound kitten has been spotted multiple times, pawing at it’s own reflection through the window and also in the weeds nearby Harden Boulevard.
Flyers have now gone up in a neighbor community, Stonewater, warning residents of the animal.
Many neighbors say they aren’t afraid of the bobcat, but worried for it’s safety.
“I did pull in anything that looked like it might attract wild animals like my screen door, I shut it,” Tracy Bailey said after spotting the flyer in the entrance of Stonewater.
“The rabies is a major concern,” Bailey added.
Experts do recommend calling SPCA or Big Cat Rescue before trying to catch it yourself, because the small cat is wild.
“If somebody tries to grab him, he is a wild cat. He could do some damage,” Nance said
SPCA Florida’s biggest worry is that if the baby bobcat is not located, it could die.
If caught, the organization plans on sending the animal to Big Cat Rescue to be rehabilitated and put back out into the wild when it is old enough.
