From Montana to Tennessee – Two Bobcats’ Journey
Anyone who has recently visited the bobcat habitat at Bays Mountain Park can see changes are coming. The habitat is in the middle of several upgrades in order to give a warm welcome to two new bobcat kittens, arriving at the park soon.
The bobcat habitat has been empty since the previous inhabitant, Kirby, passed away earlier this year. Bays Mountain Park staff were deeply saddened to lose Kirby at age 18. After Kirby’s death, park staff began the search to replace him with a new bobcat ambassador.
“There was an outpouring of support from the community to acquire a new bobcat that could call the park home,” said Megan Krager, manager of Bays Mountain Park. “With that support, the park received many comments from visitors explaining that they were never able to view Kirby while he lived in the bobcat habitat.”
In order to address these comments, park staff focused on acquiring a young bobcat that could be socialized to people from a young age. By doing this, staff hoped the bobcat would be more visible in the habitat, enabling the community to see and learn even more.
With all of this in mind, park staff began a nationwide search to find a new bobcat. This involved calling various facilities across the country to locate a bobcat that would thrive at the park.
After months of searching, staff located two bobcat brothers at Triple D Game Farm in Montana. Park staff diligently reviewed all the relevant materials on Triple D and confirmed them to be licensed by the State of Montana, permitted by the United States Department of Agriculture, and accredited by the Zoological Association of America.
Breeding programs are an important part of any accredited zoo’s operation. Bays Mountain Park does not support breeding mills or unaccredited breeding programs that sell any wildlife to untrained members of the public.
Bays Mountain Park staff traveled to Kalispell, MT to personally obtain the bobcats and ensure all relevant regulations were followed. The bobcat kittens were examined by a veterinarian prior to leaving Montana to ensure they were healthy and will be reexamined upon their arrival in Tennessee.
“By the public being able to personally experience the amazing presence of these marvelous creatures, we hope these bobcats will be able to inspire a new generation of wildlife conservationists and animal enthusiasts,” said Krager. “New programs featuring the bobcats are being developed to further educate the public, fulfilling the core mission of Bays Mountain Park.”
Follow along on the Bays Mountain Park Facebook page and Instagram for updates on the bobcat brothers’ progress.
For more information about Bays Mountain Park please visit www.baysmountain.com.