Michigan bobcat recovers from collision with auto

[Emily]

this is from the Montcalm County Daily News:
http://www.thedailynews.cc/Main.asp?Sec ... leID=19164
glad to know the DNR officer evaluates the health of bobcats by gazing in their eyes and decides they're ok if they don't seem wild!

Bobcat OK after being hit by vehicle on M-66

Luke Stier and Ryan Jeltema
Daily News staff writers

STANTON - Drivers along M-66 in the middle of Montcalm County received quite a surprise Friday morning.

Many saw a bobcat lying injured on the highway near the Dollar Days and Twin Ponds stores on Stanton's south side. The cat's rear legs had been hurt when it was struck by a vehicle.

Deputies from the Montcalm County Sheriff's Office in Stanton helped direct traffic while the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) was called in to handle the bobcat.

"Once we arrived we kept people away from the animal," said DNR Conservation Officer Vicki Goss. "It is not wise to get too close to a bobcat. They can be dangerous with their claws and teeth.

"It had been hit by a car but it didn't look like it was too injured," she said. "It didn't seem like it was real injured. There no visible injuries."

DNR officers then removed the bobcat, which was no easy task.

"We caught it with a pole and rope," Goss said. "It put up quite a fight."

It was determine that the animal wasn't severely injured so it was released.

"There was nothing to treat so we released it on state land," Goss said. "It ran away really well."

"It was the talk of the town" in Stanton, Sheriff Bill Barnwell said of the incident. "It's not very often that people get to see something like that."

Jessica Herren of Edmore drives from her home to work in Greenville every day. She was one of the first motorists to come across the animal after it had been struck.

"She was just laying there," Herren said. "She wouldn't move. She was just laying flat. After a while she moved but her hind legs didn't move."

Herren said the bobcat was quite a sight and had really large paws.

"When I talked to it, it opened its eyes," she said. "It looked right at me like it wasn't wild. Her eyes looked fairly docile."

Goss said bobcats are common around Montcalm County, especially right now.

"It is breeding season for bobcats. They are not that uncommon around here," she said. "They are very well protected in this area. There is no hunting season for bobcats."