A Colorado woman was driving when she noticed an injured bobcat on the side of the road. The woman pulled over, wrapped the animal in a blanket, and put it in the backseat of her SUV, just inches from her three-year-old son who was strapped in a safety seat.
She then called Colorado Parks and Wildlife for help and was told to get her son and herself out of the car immediately and wait for officials to arrive.
District Wildlife Manager Sarah Watson responded to the call and was shocked when she saw the 20-pound bobcat sitting in the SUV. She slammed the door shut and got a trapping device to try to remove the injured animal.
Despite suffering from internal injuries that paralyzed its rear legs, the bobcat hissed at Watson and tried to fight off her attempts to remove it from the car. She eventually got the animal out, but it had to be euthanized due to its injuries.
Officials did not say how the animal was injured but issued a warning advising people not to pick up wild animals.
"See this bobcat? Notice its large teeth? Imagine the claws within its big paws. A #ColoradoSprings woman picked up this injured wild cat and put it in her car where her child was seated! NEVER PICK UP WILD ANIMALS. She was lucky. Please call @COParksWildlife and let us handle."