TOPEKA (KSNT) – A morning commute took an unexpected turn for one Topeka woman after she discovered a live bobcat stuck in the front grille of her car.
Vicki Wheat said she was driving along Highway 24 around 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28 when a bobcat ran out from a construction area and into the path of her vehicle. Wheat said she heard a thud and initially thought she had hit and killed the animal. But after driving her husband to work, she realized the bobcat was still alive — and trapped in the front of her car.
“We drove the rest of the way to his work and realized the cat was still in the car,” Wheat said. “The grill of the car. Very much alive.”
After dropping her husband off, Wheat drove home and began calling for help. She eventually reached the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and Shawnee County Animal Control, who responded to help free the animal.
“They both came out and worked on their grill for about an hour and was able to pull him out safely,” Wheat said.
Responders had to remove part of the vehicle’s grille to get the bobcat out. After about an hour, they were able to safely free the animal and release it away from the area.
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Wheat said the bobcat was growling and hissing throughout the rescue, but appeared to be doing okay.
“He was growling and hissing, paws out, teeth out, everything you could possibly think,” Wheat said. “So, yeah, he was fine.”
While the bobcat made it back into the wild, Wheat’s car did not escape without damage. She said the grille will need to be replaced, and part of the air conditioning system was dented during the incident.
Still, Wheat said the damage is worth it knowing the animal was safely rescued.
“The car can be fixed,” Wheat said.
The unexpected encounter has also made Wheat more aware of wildlife on the roads, especially during the early morning hours. She hopes other drivers will take extra precautions when traveling through areas where animals may cross.
“Please slow down, because it could have been worse than it really was,” Wheat said.
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