A cougar kitten is getting a second lease on life after it was discovered hungry and frostbitten just outside of Williams Lake last weekend.
Sgt. Jeff Tyre of the Conservation Officer Service said the young animal was live-trapped in a subdivision just west of the city Saturday, Jan. 13, after it had been fending for itself for almost a month since its mother was struck and killed on Highway 20 near Chimney Valley Road Dec. 20.
91裸聊视频淲e suspected there were kittens around but we hadn91裸聊视频檛 had any reports,91裸聊视频� Tyre said, noting he was alerted by a Facebook post that the kitten was in a backyard.
Officers contacted the homeowner and set up the trap, catching the kitten that evening.
Except for being dehydrated and having frostbitten ears from the extreme cold spells over Christmas, a veterinarian gave the kitten a clean bill of health and recommendations on feeding, while the officers got to work looking for alternatives.
91裸聊视频淧utting him down was not an option, it wasn91裸聊视频檛 something we wanted to do. We91裸聊视频檝e been exploring every option,91裸聊视频� Tyre said, confirming Wednesday he and fellow conservation officer Ron LeBlanc will be transporting the young animal to the Greater Vancouver Zoo in Aldergrove Monday, where it will have a permanent home.
BCCOS in Williams Lake rescued this 2 month old orphaned cougar kitten. COs believe the kitten91裸聊视频檚 mother was struck and killed by a vehicle. The kitten has found a home at the Greater Vancouver Zoo
91裸聊视频� BC CO Service (@_BCCOS)
LeBlanc, who has been caring for the kitten at his own home at 150 Mile House, said he feels it is a privilege to be able to work with animals. Being able to make a difference is one of the biggest perks of his job.
91裸聊视频淭his is why I joined the COS, to help the animals and police the resources and when you get a little cat like this and you91裸聊视频檙e able to save it 91裸聊视频� we91裸聊视频檙e super happy about that,91裸聊视频� said LeBlanc, who named the kitten Charles because 91裸聊视频渋t sounded like royalty.91裸聊视频�
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Tyre said before they committed the kitten to the zoo, they weighed all their options.
He said the kitten is too young for release back into the wild.
91裸聊视频淗e doesn91裸聊视频檛 know how to fend for himself properly. He doesn91裸聊视频檛 have his mom to teach him how to feed or forage for food. So, given his age, we don91裸聊视频檛 feel he91裸聊视频檚 a good candidate for relocation.91裸聊视频�
Rehabilitation also isn91裸聊视频檛 an option for the kitten, as there are no rehab facility for wild cats in North America.
Living at a game facility or zoo was the animal91裸聊视频檚 best option.
91裸聊视频淪ometimes you wonder if you should let nature take its course but nature wasn91裸聊视频檛 what hit his mother on the road that day so we will step in, it91裸聊视频檚 our responsibility. It91裸聊视频檚 humans that caused the mother91裸聊视频檚 fatality so we91裸聊视频檙e going to help the kitten out.91裸聊视频�
