When a brush fire ignited along Orange Blossom Boulevard in Sanibel, Florida, last month, the Bayshore Fire Department (BFD) was quick to respond. One of their newest volunteer firefighters, Julian Roman-Kulwicki, rushed to help manage the blaze, ready
to put his extensive training to the test. But he soon spotted something no training session could have prepared him for.
“[H]e came across a … kitten meowing and crawling out of a pile of ashes,” Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) wrote on their website.
Roman-Kulwicki didn't hesitate. He gently wrapped the orphaned animal in his jacket, hoping to warm her up after pulling her from the fire. But as he got a better look at the fluffy baby, he realized she wasn't exactly what she'd first seemed.
“She was cold to the touch, so I tried to warm her up,” Roman-Kulwicki shared on CROW’s website. “I started to do research and found out it was a baby bobcat.”
Roman-Kulwicki was shocked. He’d only been a BFD volunteer firefighter for a month, and he had yet to encounter an orphaned baby animal so closely. So, he called an experienced wildlife rescuer, Kaitlyn Doherty, for help.
Doherty, who’d grown up taking injured and sick animals to CROW, was instantly concerned. She met Roman-Kulwicki and the kitten, still “wrapped up in firefighting gear,” back at the station. Then, she rushed the exhausted baby to CROW’s headquarters.
Thankfully, the kitten was in much better shape than the CROW team expected after surviving a brush fire. She appeared healthy on the outside, but they knew some injuries, especially from smoke inhalation, might not show up right away.
“Veterinarians at CROW did not find any burns, injuries, or current issues with the kitten’s lungs,” CROW wrote. “One of our biggest concerns at this stage is the possibility of smoke inhalation. Even when animals appear stable initially, respiratory complications can develop over time, so we are monitoring her very closely.”
The kitten, who was around 4 to 6 weeks old at the time of her rescue, has been recovering at CROW for about a month and has thrived with around-the-clock care. She’s now around 7 to 9 weeks old and still “healing and learning how to be a bobcat after the traumatic experience of being orphaned alone in a brush fire.”
But the kitten is in the perfect place to recover, and staff members remain encouraged by her progress so far, like CROW’s medical and research director, Dr. Jessica Comolli.
“She’s gaining weight, her lungs are clear, and she has shown no signs of ongoing complications from smoke exposure,” Dr. Comolli shared on CROW’s website. “While we continue to monitor her closely, things are looking very promising for her future.”
As the CROW team prepares the kitten, lovingly named Ash by firefighter Roman-Kulwicki, for her eventual release, they're taking extra care to keep her wild. Whenever possible, staff wear face coverings while handling her to prevent her from bonding with humans, a process known as imprinting.
“This helps prevent the bobcats from becoming accustomed to people as they recover and prepare for a return to the wild,” CROW wrote.
In the last month at CROW, Ash’s weight has doubled from 600 grams to 1,250 grams — and her caregivers are hopeful that she’ll continue to grow in the weeks ahead. She’s on track to be released into the wild soon, and they can’t wait to celebrate her when that day comes.
Until then, they’ll keep feeding Ash all the bottles and solid food she needs to thrive. And her beloved rescuers, especially firefighter Roman-Kulwicki, continue cheering her on from a distance.
“I’m happy she’s in the best care she could possibly be in and super thankful for CROW,” Roman-Kulwicki shared on CROW’s website.
