NEW YORK -- It's not unusual to see a kitten saved by an officer, but it is if that baby is a wild bobcat.
That's exactly what happened in late June when the state Department of Environmental Conservation got a call about a bobcat kitten stuck in a drainage ditch in the Village of Owego.
DEC conservation officers Brent Wilson and Stanley Winnick were contacted by Tioga County 911 dispatch on June 23 regarding a bobcat kitten stuck in a drainage ditch in front of a residence.
When the officers arrived on the scene, an Owego police officer was already on hand, along with a group of children.
The person who located the bobcat and reported it runs a day care center out of her home, and she, along with the children, were concerned about the well-being of the animal, which had apparently sought shelter in a drain pipe for protection and gotten lodged.
Wilson and Winnick moved everyone away from the pipe and patiently waited for the bobcat to emerge. Eventually, it slowly crawled out, and Wilson caught the kitten after a quick chase.
Wilson placed the kitten in a safe storage compartment in his truck. A local wildlife rehabilitator happened to be nearby, setting a live trap for another bobcat kitten that had been abandoned.
Both kittens are doing well and will be released to the wild when they become self-sufficient, the DEC reported.
Follow Jeff Murray on Twitter @SGJeffMurray.
Report a wildlife incident
To report nuisance wildlife or animals that are injured or distressed, contact your local DEC wildlife office.
In Region 7, which includes Tioga, Tompkins and Broome counties, call 607-753-3095, ext. 247. In Region 8, which includes Chemung, Schuyler and Steuben counties, call 585-226-5380 or 607-776-2165.
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