A three-legged bobcat was released back into the wild by the National Parks Service this week, and she is super cute.
According to a blog post by the NPS, the female bobcat, identified as B-337, or Bobcat 337, piqued the interest of researchers who noticed the tri-pedal bobcat passing by one of the camera traps set up on the western end of the range.
(National Parks Service)
B-337 was eventually caught in one of the NPS' cage traps, and looked at by biologists, who couldn't determine whether B-337 had been born without the leg, or somehow lost it because of an injury. She's now being tracked by researchers, and blood samples are being analyzed. Biologist Joanne Moriarty said in the post, "Bobcats catch live prey, so that means she's managing to hunt with one front leg—and doing it well enough to feed herself and her kitten." B-337 sure knows how to #LeanIn.
Researchers also believe that B-337 has a kitten, who was found in one of the NPS cages a few days before its mother—this little guy is missing an ear!
Bobcats are cool and adorable. Lest we forget this beautiful b-cat, who posed for this photo in Griffith Park last year.
