Two-Week-Old Bobcat Left With FL Firefighters
By Stephen Ruiz
Source Orlando Sentinel
Firefighters are accustomed to putting themselves in dangerous situations.
Solving mysteries, though, is not generally in their job descriptions.
The men and women at Orlando Fire Station 7 at 601 S. Goldwyn Ave., west of South John Young Parkway near the Washington Shores neighborhood, were tasked with a small “what is it?’’ when a man dropped off what he called a baby “cheetah’’ Thursday, Orlando Fire Department spokeswoman Ashley Papagni said.
The fire personnel did what most people would do in this day and age of search engines. They Googled “baby cheetah’’ and discovered what they thought was a kitten showed characteristics of being a bobcat, Papagni said.
The firefighters sent photos of the cuddly cat to the Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge and Education Center in Orlando. The center’s administrative manager, Kelly Verduin, arrived at Station 7, looked at the small animal and solved the mystery.
Verduin confirmed it was an approximately 2-week-old female bobcat, which Lt. Josh Walker said the fire personnel jokingly referred to as “Bob.’’ Verduin took the bobcat to begin caring for it.
According to National Geographic, bobcats grow to be 26 inches to 41 inches and weigh up to 30 pounds. Their average lifespan is 10-12 years.
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