This update does cheat a little on the timeframe, as Allen McGuire found the quill-riddled juvenile cat Dec. 11, 2021, huddled on the shoulder of Leeman Road in northern Dickinson County.

But it did remain with U.P. Wildlife Rehabilitation-Keweenaw Group in Houghton until mid-May, when it was successfully set free in Keweenaw County.

The little female bobcat gained substantial weight while in captivity and matured from a starving late-season kitten, only 4 pounds when found, to a robust 20- to 25-pound near-adult ready to make her way in the wild again, wildlife rehabilitator Beth Maata said.

“At the end, she had a nice belly going,” Maata said.

The young bobcat was anesthetized just before it was released in May in Keweenaw County. Note the change in size since it was brought in.

Once the bobcat got past emaciation and being porcupine-punctured from face to groin, the main concern for its future was making sure it didn’t become too habituated to humans during its months-long stay.

Mission accomplished, Maata said: The cat continued to hide and be hissy, despite being offered a variety of roadkill meats, even live prey to hone her hunting skills.

“If she could have killed me, she would have,” Maata said, adding she did not begrudge the bobcat its hostility, as it’s best for her to stay far away from people.

While U.P. Wildlife Rehabilitation-Keweenaw Group originally had expected to return the bobcat to Dickinson County, they decided a more remote, human-scarce habitat was better, Maata said.

“She’ll be far enough away from houses, she won’t look to them as a possible source of food,” Maata said.

They set the bobcat free May 7, leaving some food easily accessible for her in those initial days. After her release, the property owner did see a bobcat during the summer, she said, adding, “I like to think that was her.”

The bobcat illustrates U.P. Wildlife Rehabilitation-Keweenaw Group’s work with all the animals brought in injured, ill or orphaned that need specialized care.

In the past year they’ve also had fawns, woodchucks, owls young and adult, falcons, coyotes, raccoons, red squirrels, a baby snowshoe hare, hummingbirds and hawks submitted to be tended.

But the Upper Peninsula’s ranks of wildlife rehabilitators have dwindled in recent years, as those such as Phyllis Carlson in Quinnesec retired. The well-known Chocolay Raptor Center in Marquette closed in December after 10 years, after founder Jerry Maynard died in August.

Right now, the U.P. Wildlife Rehabilitation-Keweenaw Group is the only organization in the U.P. available to accept wildlife, Maara said; she’s the only Yooper licensed for raptors except for eagles.

The ability to send some animals to Wisconsin for care no longer is an option, either, since avian influenza surfaced, she added. The closest wildlife rehabilitator they can turn to now is in Traverse City, where they transferred two bald eagles last year.

So it could use some help, both in money and volunteers, Maara said. In particular, she’d like to add a larger outdoor enclosure for housing predators, as the current one had barely enough space for the young bobcat. They’d be hard-pressed to accommodate long-term something as big as, say, a coyote.

She estimates it would cost about $5,000 to set up a cage with some running room.

They also need money for veterinary care and food– frozen rats for raptors and predators don’t come cheap, and the baby mammals often need specialized formulas.

Donations can be made online at https://upwildlife1.wixsite.com/website or mailed to 42057 Archambeau Road, Chassell, MI 49916. They also have a nice T-shirt available as a fundraiser.

In addition, the group regularly needs people willing to transport animals to Houghton for treatment. So that’s another good reason to “follow” U.P. Wildlife Rehabilitation on Facebook. The website has ways to volunteer as well.

Betsy Bloom can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 240, or bbloom@ironmountaindailynews.com.