Wildlife crews looking for bobcats seriously burned in Crowders Mountain fire

KINGS MOUNTAIN, N.C. — There’s a new concern in the aftermath of a large wildfire on Crowders Mountain as wildlife crews are urgently searching for two bobcats that suffered serious burns.

Channel 9′s Ken Lemon learned that those cats need to hunt to live, and an injury from the fire may have made them incapable of hunting.

The executive director of Carolina Wildlife Conservation Center, Morgan Rafael, says their team wants to find these cats as soon as possible.

Neighbors in Kings Mountain caught video of the bobcats on Crocker Road this week.

“I was shocked because I never knew what a bobcat looked like,” said Linda Faye Crocker, a neighbor in the area.

Crocker didn’t know that people from the Carolina Wildlife Conservation Center in Iron Station were in her neighborhood looking for the cats. But she does know about the 730-acre forest fire on Pinnacle Mountain this past weekend.

The fire burned on the south side of Crowders Mountain State Park. Workers at the center believe the cats were almost certainly injured in the fire.

“I really think it’s sad,” Crocker said.

Rafael told Channel 9′s Ken Lemon that an injured predator can’t hunt and won’t survive.

“Any type of injury to a big carnivore like that is going to be deadly and it’s going to be a prolonged painful, suffering death for them,” Rafael said.

Rafael saw a video posted on social media and told Lemon nothing is normal about the way the cats were interacting with each other and the public.

“One was in front, crouched over, and the other was in back completely laid out, and that’s very unusual for bobcats,” Rafael said.

She said they’re normally independent and hidden, but that video was taken by a driver just feet away.

“I’m very concerned about their condition and them being out there suffering,” Rafael said.

She said the cats may have escape a massive wildfire, but they need help now more than ever. However, that help needs to come from professionals. She said anyone who has seen the cats should call animal services, who will reach out to her group to rehabilitate the cats.

Rafael said there may be other animals affected by the fire, too. If you see a wild animal in need of assistance, don’t try to approach it. Contact a professional, instead.

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