Mama bobcat, new baby released in Illinois

• Tweet

BELLEVILLE, Ill., Oct. 29 (UPI) -- Animal rescuers in Illinois said a bobcat rescued from the side of a road in March has been set free with the cub she had while in captivity.

The TreeHouse Wildlife Center in Dow said Belle, the Bobcat believed to have been struck by a car in Belleville in March, was docile for her first few weeks at the center, but when she soon became protective of her territory in her enclosure workers discovered she had given birth, The Belleville News-Democrat reported Monday.

The kitten, dubbed Bobbie before workers knew its gender and later discovered to be a male, led rescuers to decide to keep Belle at the center for a while longer until the kitten was strong enough to hunt.

"We wanted to leave them together until we knew that Bobbie was big enough to hunt, just in case he became separated from his mother," said Adele Moore, founder of the center. "She was a great mom but we needed to be sure."

The bobcats were taken to a section of land near Valmeyer and set free during the second week of October.