The bobcat is examined at Norway Veterinary Hospital, where she received X-rays and tests to assess her injuries after being hit by a car in Gorham March 9. Contributed / Photo by Lauren Kennedy
The bobcat severely injured when hit by a car earlier this month in Gorham will require six more weeks of rehab, Gorham Police Sgt. Ted Hatch said this week.
Hatch spared the female bobcat’s life after responding to the scene at a stretch of Fort Hill Road between Huston Road and Mighty Street on March 9.
“Three guys were there, they wanted me to euthanize it,” Hatch said, because it seemed the animal would soon die from its injuries.
But Hatch noticed she was moving her paws and he felt she could be saved. He called Game Warden Peter Herring and Herring and Gorham Animal Control Officer Scott Nystrom agreed. Hatch recorded a video for proof the animal was still breathing.
Another state wildlife expert was called to the scene and the bobcat was taken to the Saco River Wildlife Center in Limington and then to Norway Veterinary Hospital for X-rays, Hatch said.
The bobcat suffered a fractured leg bone and pelvis and was severely anemic and had lung contusions, according to a Portland Press Herald report.
Volunteers at the wildlife center have named her Betty, and she’s still feisty despite her condition, according to the center’s wildlife Bethany Brown.
When she’s fully recovered, she likely will be released back in Gorham, Hatch said.
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