Some local animal advocates said they are worried about the ethics and logistics of raising a bobcat at Prairie Park Nature Center, but the City of Lawrence said it is able to support the animal.
The city announced in September the arrival of the 12-week-old bobcat kitten that will call the nature center home for the rest of its life. The bobcat is an ambassador animal to help connect community members with Kansas wildlife.
The bobcat comes from a facility that breeds bobcats for educational purposes, according to the city.
Soon after the arrival of the bobcat, some local animal advocates began to ask questions of city staff to determine more about the cat’s origins and whether the nature center had the space and resources to support the animal.
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Kara Kendall-Morwick lives in the Prairie Park neighborhood and is a professor at Washburn University. She has done scholarly work in the field of animal and environmental studies, including about the ethics of keeping animals in captivity.
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She said she values the educational mission of the nature center, but “has ethical misgivings about an animal being purposely bred for a life in captivity.”
Plus, she said, holding an animal in captivity for its entire life could distort the center’s educational goals.
“You’re seeing an animal not in the wild, not exhibiting its natural behaviors, but living in an artificial environment,” Kendall-Morwick said. “And you are implicitly sending the message that those animals are there for human enjoyment. And so I worry about whether that educational goal is being compromised.”
Abby Bush-Wilder, a spokesperson for the parks and recreation department, said the bobcat is from a U.S. Department of Agriculture-licensed facility, but the city can not share which one because of federal privacy requirements.
She said Prairie Park Nature Center is also licensed and regulated by the USDA, which includes standards for animal housing, sanitation, nutrition and veterinary care.
She said the city was “excited to continue the tradition of wildlife conservation education through this new ambassador.”
Kendall-Morwick, though, said a USDA license doesn’t necessarily assuage her concerns. She said there are examples of licensed facilities mistreating animals.
Lawrence resident Mary Costello has worked with bobcats and other large wildlife before. She is also co-owner of Espurresso Cat Cafe in downtown Lawrence.
She said it is important to practice extreme care when dealing with bobcats.
“The number one priority is always rehabilitation,” she said. “So really, you know, I believe wildcats belong in the wild. So, I was just a little surprised by this decision.”
Kendall-Morwick and Costello also said they worried about the nature center’s capacity, especially given the city nearly closed it in 2022 before community members urged the city commission to keep it open.
“I’ve seen from just my experiences (at a wildcat sanctuary) the massive amount of space and resources and expertise that’s required for those animals, and it’s hard for me to envision our humble little nature center, as well-meaning as they might be, providing that,” Kendall-Morwick said.
Bush-Wilder said the nature center has been preparing for a new animal ambassador, and the center’s budget can support the bobcat, including providing nutrition, enrichment and habitat maintenance.
“We want the community to know that proper care of the bobcat is multi-faceted, and we are prepared to provide excellent care throughout his life,” Bush-Wilder said in an email response to questions.
The bobcat will have an outdoor enclosure that is more than 3,500 cubic feet and has been adapted to fit the bobcat’s habitat, Bush-Wilder said.
She said the city chose a bobcat because they are native to Kansas, but hard to find in the wild.
That was a point of concern for Costello, who said bobcats are usually private animals that avoid being seen as part of their nature.
“They don’t want to engage with humans,” she said. “And so, yeah, it’s concerning. How stressful is he going to be if he’s available to public viewing all the time?”
She also cautioned that, despite their smaller size, bobcats are dangerous predators that can be unpredictable.
If the city keeps the bobcat, Costello said she hopes city staff will prioritize the health of the cat over public viewing or entertainment, something she said would still allow the center to educate the community.
“I think that they can continue to foster curiosity and connection while still demonstrating a respect for wildlife,” Costello said. “… I love Prairie Park, and I think they do a great job. And so I hope that they will continue to be good ambassadors.”
The announcement of the bobcat’s arrival came alongside an invitation to an event where the community could meet and help name him. But that event was later postponed because the city said the bobcat needed its remaining immunizations and necessary veterinary care.
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Cuyler Dunn (he/him), staff reporter, has worked with The Lawrence Times since April 2022. He can be reached at [email protected].
Read his complete bio at this link. Read more of his work for the Times at this link.
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