Male bobcat

DOB approx. 5/1/2015

Arrived to Big Cat Rescue October 17, 2016

Moved to Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge November 30, 2023

Dryden and 5 others arrived at Big Cat Rescue on Oct. 17, 2016 from Spirit of the Hills.  Find out more about the rescue here: https://bigcatrescue.org/spirit-of-the-hills/
https://youtu.be/jRhsl2aVIyk
Dryden and Kewlona are siblings who had been orphaned when they were only weeks old.

 
We got this feedback from a previous volunteer at Spirit of the Hills, summarized below, along with the two adorable kitten photos of them here:

"Dryden and Kewlona came to Spirit of the Hills in June 2015 when they were only weeks old.  They were found in a farmer's barn in Wyoming. They are siblings and the mother and 2 more kittens were found dead not far from where the kittens were found.
I looked after them during my holidays for 6 weeks and then when I left, they were cared for by the director.  Once they were a few months old they were put into a large enclosure.  One thing I always noticed with them, when I would go back and see them, is that they like high platforms.
To my knowledge they did not try to rehab and release them.  I think because they had been handled by humans too much when they were small.
It was the same with Smalls; she was bottle fed, from a tiny kitten so that's probably the same reason why she was not rehabilitated and released; because they felt she had too much human contact as little ones."

More about the area where Spirit of the Hills was located.

SPEARFISH, SD 9/20/2015 — The volunteer fire department in Spearfish is dissolving after 134 years of service to the Black Hills community, citing low morale and a lack of support.
The department’s members voted 24-11 earlier this month to dissolve the nonprofit effective next Jan. 31, the Black Hills Pioneer reported.
“Of all the things that the members have seen in their years on the department and all the decisions they’ve had to make in the face of fighting fire, this is by far the worst and most gut-wrenching decision that anybody has had to face,” Chief Taylor Custis said.
The department has 37 volunteers, far short of a full roster of 63, and there is a lack of firefighters willing to take on leadership roles because of the time commitment now required, President Janette Hettick said.
The city also has refused to raise property taxes to better fund the department, though the City Council last week voted to make up the money that used to be collected through a fund drive the department voted last spring to discontinue.
“What this department needs right now would be a solid commitment from somebody, and unfortunately, I think it is too late for that,” Custis said.
Mayor Dana Boke said a team will be formed to figure out a plan for fire protection after the volunteer department dissolves.https://youtu.be/6B6JOo8C5VQ

December 29, 2020

A couple of years doing Operant Training with Dryden paid off today when I was quickly and safely able to close him in his feeding lockout for Dr. Justin to administer his vaccines without needing to net him or sedate him! He of course will now lose some trust in me but I did spoil him with treats on his platform as soon as everyone left and he didn't turn them down <3 ~Brittany Mira
bigcatrescue.org/operant-conditioning

February 25, 2021

I think it’s safe to say... Kewlona and Dryden approve Victors handy work Huge thank you to everyone who donated last August for my birthday fundraiser (you raised so much for Smalls that she was able to share the wealth with her neighbors) and then again in December for Gales fundraiser to finish the project! You helped make 2 special bobcats very happy! ~Brittany Mira

If you would like to help support our efforts to rescue cats like Dryden you can:

Choose Big Cat Rescue as your chosen charity on Smile.Amazon.com and Amazon will make a donation to the sanctuary every time you shop at no additional cost to you.

Donate securely at https://BigCatRescue.org/donate

Set up a Facebook Fundraiser for Big Cat Rescue at https://www.facebook.com/fund/bigcatrescue/

Shop at one of our online gift shops: BigCatRescue.biz, https://bigcatrescue.creator-spring.com/?

You can sponsor Dryden at https://big-cat-rescue.myshopify.com/collections/sponsor-a-cat/products/download-bobcat-sponsorship