Willow Bobcat is currently our youngest animal here at the sanctuary. Willow was born in the wild and orphaned. It is unclear what happened to her mom, but the rehabilitation facility that originally took her deemed her unreleasable due to her seeking out humans. This behavior is not conducive to a safe and successful reintroduction to the wild. Though we would have loved for her to live in the wild, we are committed to giving her the best life possible here at Carolina Tiger Rescue. We are excited to see her grow and thrive under our care.

Born April 13, 2020

Rescued August 15, 2020

How Willow Came to the Sanctuary

In August of 2020, Carolina Tiger Rescue got a call from a partner sanctuary in the Big Cat Sanctuary Alliance. A five-month-old female bobcat was in need of a home. The bobcat was found on the side of the road in Illinois with her brother in early May. The mother was nowhere to be found and the kittens had blood on their fur. Thankfully the blood was not from the kittens. An animal rescue group found the kittens and brought them to the rehabbers at TreeHouse Wildlife Center. Unfortunately the brother didn’t make it, but the little girl grew up healthy and strong. They worked for many months to wean the kitten and to keep her away from human contact as much as possible. Then it was time to move her and two other rehab bobcat kittens out into the prerelease enclosure. The other two bobcats scurried away but this little one decided that she would rather stay with the humans. This doesn’t make for a successful reintroduction into the wild. Bobcats and other wild animals that have become too attached to humans do not tend to survive and will often become a “nuisance” animal. They will approach people and look for food around humans. Because she was deemed non-releasable, they had to find a forever home for her.

The rehabbers made a call to Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge who passed her information along to The Wildcat Sanctuary. They in turned contacted us and we made arrangements to bring the kitten home. TreeHouse had a wonderful volunteer who offered to drive the kitten to us. After an eleven hour drive, she arrived safe and sound to the sanctuary. We are so excited to offer her a home and are always happy to work with our wonderful sister sanctuaries.

Personality

Willow is settling into the sanctuary life well. It was clear pretty quickly why she could not be released back into the wild. While nervous around her new caretakers, she has quickly warmed up to them and is now taking treats off a stick from them. She enjoys enrichment and making a mess for her keepers to clean up!

Description

Willow has typical bobcat coloration. She has grays and browns mixed into her fluffy fur. Her kitten spots are fading and she is filling out and looking more and more like a grown bobcat each day. She has big eyes and a very pink nose!

Where in Sanctuary

Willow lives off tour in Elm Grove. She is neighbors with Ranger Bobcat.

Wild Born Animals

It is unclear how Willow became orphaned. However, one problem many wild animals face and one that is becoming more common is loss of habitat due to human encroachment. As we humans continue to expand our territory, it is important to remember we need to preserve land for the wild animals and make corridors and pathways for their territory to remain accessible so they can remain wild.

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About Carolina Tiger Rescue

Carolina Tiger Rescue is a 501(c)3 nonprofit wildlife sanctuary whose mission is saving and protecting wild cats in captivity and in the wild.

Carolina Tiger Rescue

1940 Hanks Chapel Rd. Pittsboro, NC 27312 (919) 542-4684 (919) 542-4454 info@carolinatigerrescue.org

Wildlife should be in the Wild

Rescue

Education

  • We believe the ideal home for wildlife is in the wild.
  • We believe it is critical to conserve their native habitats.
  • We believe wild animals should not be kept as pets.
  • We believe captive breeding should ONLY be done in accordance with Species Survival plans.
  • We believe all wild animals, both captive and in their native habitats, deserve to be treated with respect and not exploited for entertainment and commercial purposes.

Visit Carolina Tiger Rescue

Tiger at Carolina Tiger Rescue

Public Tours

Twilight Tours

Coming out for a tour is a great way to learn more about the animals that call Carolina Tiger Recue home. We offer many different types of tours.  Public tours are great for adults and families. Twilight tours are for adults only (18 years of age and older). Tiger Tales are a perfect option if you want to bring out really young children. Find the tour that is right for you and enjoy a walk through the sanctuary.

For all tours, tickets must be purchased in advance.

Have Fun Learning at Carolina Tiger Rescue

Field Trips

Field Trips

Virtual Field Trips link

Virtual Field Trips

Education is key to our mission.  We enjoy teaching "kids" of all ages!  Our field trips, both virtual and onsite, are ideal for groups of kids.  Our "Kid for a Day" Adult Camp provides a unique learning opportunity while allowing adults to channel their inner child.  While all of these opportunities are structured differently, in the end we want everyone to walk away knowing more about the animals we care for and what they can do to help protect them.

Bobcat at Carolina Tiger Rescue
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Get involved at Carolina Tiger Rescue

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Individual Volunteering

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Group Volunteering

There are so many ways to be a part of Carolina  Tiger Rescue.  Individual volunteers are able to help in many aspects of our work, including animal care, tour guides, construction, and gift shop assistance.  Work groups come from community groups, colleges, work places, and more!  It’s a great way to spend a day and it helps care for the cats.