Photos: Game Warden Rescues Bobcat, Rewarded with Bite and Rabies Shots
OutdoorHub Reporters 02.23.16
As they say, no good deed goes unpunished. A Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks game warden found this bobcat in the middle of a highway and attempted to move the feline out of the way of traffic, but the encounter took a different turn than the warden would have liked.
“Our wardens can get themselves into some interesting situations! These photos were sent over by Warden Regan Dean, who encountered a bobcat in the middle of a highway,” Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Region 3 wrote on their Facebook page. “It kept crawling under his truck, and he managed to catch it with the help of a passerby who pulled over to assist. They put a rope around the bobcat, and Regan wrapped it up in his jacket. They released the cat at a fishing access site, but not before Regan was bitten and had to have the first round of rabies shots. Quite a story to go home with!”
Rabies shots have advanced a bit over the years, but they are still highly unpleasant. Unfortunately, the entire encounter seems to have been in vain. Wildlife officials later reported that the bobcat was found dead after having been released. From its wounds, it was likely killed by another predator. It did test negative for rabies however, so at the very least the warden may be able to skip another painful round of shots.
