LEE COUNTY, Fla. — A deputy in southwest Florida sure has a way with wild animals.
Lee County Sheriff’s Deputy Vincent Lopez helped a wounded bobcat, who apparently was struck by a vehicle on Sunday, the sheriff’s office wrote in a Facebook post.
A photo shared by the sheriff’s office shows the 30-pound bobcat curled up in Lopez’s arms, similar to a house cat.
“(Lopez) He was able to get this STUNNING fur baby to safety and transport him to Blue Pearl Animal Hospital where he reportedly will make a full recovery!” the sheriff’s office posted.
Lopez found the injured bobcat on Sunday morning while on patrol, WINK-TV reported.
“Bobcat attacks on humans are very rare and extremely suspicious for rabies infection of the animal,” according to the National Institutes of Health website.
They are generally not friendly to humans, but this big cat needed help and became submissive, the Miami Herald reported.
The sheriff’s office wrote in an email to the newspaper that “due to the bobcat’s injuries, the animal was docile and surrendered to the help the deputy was providing.”
Lopez, who has been with the sheriff’s office since 2021, still took precautions. He used heavy-duty gloves and a blanket, but he was still vulnerable if the bobcat decided to take a swipe at him, the Herald reported.
The bobcat was transported to Blue Pearl Animal Hospital in Fort Myers and is expected to make a full recovery, WINK reported.
“It’s amazing what our deputies come across while out keeping our great residents safe,” the sheriff’s office wrote on Facebook. “All in a day’s work.”
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