Orland Park Bobcat Finds Forever Home At Minnesota Sanctuary

ORLAND PARK, IL -- The bobcat found living in a shuttered Orland Park storefront last month has a new name and forever home in an accredited sanctuary in Minnesota. Lynxie, now known as Mondovi, was found during a raid on Feb. 28, where Orland Park police found two handguns and ammunition. Mondovi was found locked in an office with toys. His owner, a convicted felon, was arrested on gun charges, police said. The owner was also issued for a citation for possession of a wild animal.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources turned over the 10-month-old bobcat to the Wildcat Sanctuary on March 23, where Mondovi went for an eight hour ride to his new home in Sandstone, Minn. A Cook County judge and the bobcat’s owner, who loved his pet, agreed to surrender Mondovi to the sanctuary. Tammy Thies, the founder and president of the Wildcat Sanctuary, said Mondovi is adjusting well to his new surroundings. Because the bobcat has been declawed, he can never be released into the wild.

“He was very calm on the ride up,” Thies said. “He is very food motivated and has a huge appetite. He’s adjusting quickly and loves being outdoors playing in the snow and jumping on perches.”

While the sanctuary does not typically change the names of wildcats surrendered by private owners, the sanctuary felt the name “Lynxie” might be confusing to the Wildcat Sanctuary’s supporters. Bobcats are often mistaken for lynxes. While bobcats and lynxes are separate species, they belong to the same genus, which, coincidentally, happens to be the Lynx genus.

Thies and colleague Elyse Mather, were playing with possible names on the way back to Minnesota, when they happened to drive through Mondovi, WI. Mondovi is also a town in Italy.

“I thought he deserved a strong name. It was perfect for him,” Thies said. “He’s a very special cat.”

Mondovi’s original owner bought him off of Craigslist for a hefty price. The seller met the owner on the side of a highway where the exchange was made. Thies says Mondovi is just one of thousands of captive wildcats living with private owners, often illegally, in the United States. The purchaser often loses custody of the animal, but the breeder is not prosecuted and continues selling wild animals “as nothing more than a commodity.”

“The one that fuels the captive wildlife crisis is the breeder,” she said. “Sadly, this isn't unusual in the buying, breeding and trafficking of illegal wildlife. People have been known to even buy tiger cubs out of the back of a car.”

Upon Mondovi’s arrival at the Wildcat Sanctuary, he underwent an extensive veterinary exam. His blood work was good and Modovi is recovering from neutering surgery. They also discovered that all four of Mondovi’s paws were declawed, which may lead to problems with arthritis in adulthood.

“He weighs 14 pounds and is the right size for his age,” Thies said, adding that Mondovi could weigh 20 to 45 pounds at maturity. “He’s a lanky, he’s a growing boy.”

Mondovi will gradually be introduced into the rest of the sanctuary’s bobcat community, which numbers 22 and a designated Canadian lynx.

“We’ll put him on a shared wall with another cat,” Thies said. “After getting to know another cat, we’ll start play dates if there is positive interaction. Hopefully Mondovi will find his new cat family here.”

Thies said the Wildcat Sanctuary does not charge for their services to rescue captive cats. They’ll also accept wildcats from owners needed to surrender their wild pets, which are illegal to own Illinois.

“This is all on our own dime,” she said. “We never say no to an animal. We make sure we have sustainability for the long haul.”

From now through April 30, those wishing to donate to Mondovi’s care will see their gifts matched up to $75,000. Individuals can also sponsor one of the sanctuary’s wildcats, which in addition to bobcats includes tigers, lions, cougars or mountain lions, bengals and African servals. Donations will enable all of the sanctuary’s cats to live wild at heart.

Plans also are in the works to rebuild the bobcat habitat, the oldest are in the sanctuary, by building a new indoor enclosure and adding higher vertical cat walks and skywalks off the building since bobcats like to climb and hole up in trees in the wild.

“Mondovi is cute and cuddly acting because h’s a baby,” Thies said. “Once you bring him food his nature comes out. He snarls and pounces on it. He’s definitely a bobcat. He’s going to have a good life here for the next 20 years. They transition well when they come when they’re young.”

The Wildcat Sanctuary is not open to the public, but people can keep up with their favorite cats on the sanctuary’s Facebook page, which features lots of videos. Donations can be made online or by sending a check made out to the Wildcat Sanctuary at PO Box 314, Sandstone, MN 55072. All donations are tax deductible. To learn more about the Wildcat Sanctuary, call 320-245-6871 or email them at info@wildcatsanctuary.org

Mondovi's "going home" journey | The Wildcat Sanctuary

Photo courtesy of the Wildcat Sanctuary