nonprofit

North American Bobcat Patient 25-1428 by ARK

A lot of people loved the cougar cub I shared last week, so I thought it would be neat for you all to see a bobkitten (aka bobcat kit). In addition to the fact that adult bobcats are sometimes confused for cougar (check the image compare below!), this is a great nonprofit to support on Giving Tuesday!

The Association to Rescue Critters (A.R.K.) shared a photo of North American Bobcat Patient 25-1428 who came to them with two broken legs, one of them a compound fracture. With the help of their wildlife rehab colleagues and their AMAZING Wildlife Veterinarian, this bobcat (who I am going to call Rufus) received his life-saving surgery and is now running on BOTH of his legs (click the photo for video proof)!

A.R.K. writes “Now that he (Rufus) is healed, it’s time for him to join the other FIVE juvenile bobcats we are overwintering this season. Together, they will learn to hunt, climb, cache, hide, and all of the other tools necessary for survival in the wild.“

North American Bobcats are medium-sized, nocturnal, solitary, felines that can be found over a wide range of our continent. Being highly adaptive, they occupy forests, swamps, deserts, grasslands, and even urban areas. They are carnivorous hunters but also opportunistic scavengers when possible. By regulating small mammal populations, they help maintain a balanced food web within our ecosystem and help prevent the spread of disease at the same time.

Once a year, the mother gives birth to 1-8 (typically 3) kits and raises them for 8-11 months. Once they are old enough to follow mom, the kits learn from her every move. Passing on all of her skills until it’s time for them to set out for their own territory.

A.R.K. adds that bobcat eats around 2 lbs of meat each day 😳 Thankfully, they have a dollar for dollar donation match up to $7000 through December 31st if you want to help out with the grocery bill. Click to learn more about the Association to Rescue Kritters of St. Helen, MI sure follow them on Facebook to see all the amazing animals they are helping!

Food Rescue of Northwest Michigan

“In times like these, we have to look out to help one another. We have to have compassion for one another to see how can I help my brother.” – Reverend Aaron Hicks

Michigan Public shares that Michigan food pantries were swamped over the weekend with the news of SNAP benefits being cut. Bridge Michigan notes Governor Whitmer is sending $4.5 million in emergency funds to food banks & the Senate has passed a larger, $71 million dollar package.

The National SNAP participation map breaks things down at the conty level. In Michigan average of 14.2% of small town households, 16.1% of urban households, and 16.8% of rural households receive SNAP benefits, and Michigan spends $3 billion a year on food assistance for our 1.4 million SNAP recipients.

One of the many Michigan organizations working hard to keep food in the hands of hungry Michiganders is Food Rescue of Northwest Michigan who rescue, repack, and distribute over 2 million pounds of food every year to add to food pantry stores. Due to uncertainty with SNAP (food stamp) benefits, they are holding additional repacks – get all the details right here & feel welcome to share options you know of in the comments!!