An orphaned California bobcat that was initially deemed too friendly because of her love for the firefighters who rescued her is back in the wild.
The Times-Standard of Eureka reports that the bobcat named Chips was released in Humboldt County last Friday.
The creature was only a kitten when she was discovered last August by crews battling the Chips wildfire in the Plumas National Forest.
She had been burned and abandoned during the blaze that destroyed 74,000 acres. Vets said she suffered second degree burns on her paws and had an injury to her eyes.
Nan Powers with the group Sierra Wildlife Rescue said it took seven months to get Chips ready to be released back into the wild. Behavior issues is the thing that kept her in the rescue center. She apparently liked people too much.
When first rescued, the kitten cuddled up next to her rescuers and fell asleep as they pet her.
Local
It took wildlife experts seven months to toughen up the cat. That involved forcing her to chase down her own food and stop sleeping on a soft bed.
The wildlife center wouldn't say exactly where the Chips was dropped off. They don't track or collar animals released back into the wild, which means we have likely seen the last of Chips.
