The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden sends this information as posted below:
The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden is pleased to welcome Pando, a female, 7-month-old bobcat, to her home in the newly renovated Cat Forest habitat.
Found as a kitten in Coalinga, California by a member of the public, the bobcat was cared for by two California-based rescue organizations—Pacific Wildlife Care in Morro Bay and Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue in Petaluma—before coming to the OKC Zoo.
While rescued wildlife can sometimes be released back into their original habitats, it is not done when the animals are inclined toward approaching humans, regardless of species.
“Unfortunately, Pando, was not considered an appropriate candidate for reintroduction due to her strong interest in people.” said Tyler Boyd, OKC Zoo’s Curator of Carnivores. “However, our hope is that this will make her an excellent participant in her own healthcare and wellbeing while at the Oklahoma City Zoo as she works with the caretaker team to learn new training behaviors.”
“I’m very excited to welcome Pando into our animal family to inspire and inform our visitors about a very skilled and adaptable predator that is found in our own backyards here in Oklahoma,” he said. “Bobcats play a vital role in controlling pest populations in the ecosystem, they are incredibly adaptable to changes in climate and environment, and they are extremely intelligent.”
Pando will undergo a wellness exam, pending animal participation, on Friday, January 17 at the Zoo’s Joan Kirkpatrick Animal Hospital. Guests are invited to watch exams from the hospital’s public viewing area and can find a schedule of upcoming exams on the Zoo’s Facebook channel @okczoo.
The Zoo’s carnivore care team selected Pando’s name in recognition of the world’s largest and densest organism: a 106-acre quaking aspen grove weighing about 13 million pounds, originating from a single seed more than two million years ago.
Guests can see Pando, as well as Sumatran tigers, clouded leopards, ocelots, and more fascinating felines in the Zoo’s Cat Forest habitat this spring.
The Oklahoma City Zoo’s daytime hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily with the last entry at 4 p.m. The Zoo will be closed to the public Tuesdays and Wednesdays now through February 5, 2025. Purchase advance Zoo admission tickets at okczoo.org/tickets and avoid the entry lines. Located at the crossroads of I-44 and I-35, the OKC Zoo is a proud member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the American Alliance of Museums, Oklahoma City’s Adventure District and an Adventure Road partner.
Stay connected with the Zoo on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, Linktree and TikTok, and by visiting our blog stories. Make it a zoo day with a ZOOfriends membership! As a ZOOfriends member of the Oklahoma City Zoo, enjoy free admission for 12-months, plus additional benefits and discounts. You will also be supporting the Zoo’s animal family, education programming, and conservation initiatives both locally and globally. Join or renew today at www.okczoo.org/membership.
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