Taking care of animals in forest fires...

[lspencer534]

When a wildfire quickly spread through the wooded area around would-be animal-rescuer George Knauss's home, he knew there were wild animals that would need help. So, he set out to save as many as possible. That’s when he encountered a small bobcat and a fawn…

It was clear that both animals were in serious danger and if their was any hope of them being rescued, George was going to have to act fast. So, as quickly as he could move, George brought both the baby bobcat and fawn out of the woods… and into his home.



Still, George faced a serious dilemma. On one hand, he knew they were wild animals and they should be free, but on the other hand, if he let them go, there was a good chance they wouldn’t last long on their own.

Understandably, George’s family was extremely apprehensive to having a bobcat and fawn recuperating in their home. But it soon became clear that these weren’t your typical wild animals, and it was as if they were thankful for a safe place to be!



Benji, the name they gave to the bobcat, and the fawn were integrated so well into the home that it was clear they were going to become permanent residents from the start. Remarkably, the predator and the prey were fast friends. Furthermore, they loved to hang out with the family’s other pets, a cat and a dog. It was one big, happy family!

YouTube (Short URL)

And the fawn’s gentle, loving nature didn’t go unnoticed by George and his family either. See the way he accepted potato chips from George’s hand as if he was just a puppy accepting a delicious treat from his owner:

YouTube (Short URL)

They were released after a few months back into the wild where they belonged. Wildfires have been prevalent in several States lately, and I can't find the exact location where this occurred. As best as I can determine this all happened in September, 2018.

[Broken Wind]

That’s heartwarming and all, but it’s also a huge mistake to bring something like a fkng wildcat into your home. That bobcat is marking that kid, not showing him love. You can’t project human emotions onto something that isn’t capable of having them, and we all are guilty of doing that to one degree or another. That guy was wise to turn them back out into the wild, and lucky nothing horrible happened while they were there.

Just my opinion, of course.

[Y2Kvert4me]

Originally Posted by lspencer534

I can't find the exact location where this occurred. As best as I can determine this all happened in September, 2018.

Not entirely fake, but your post is a concoction of two completely separate and unrelated stories.

Those are clearly not the same animals in the two pictures. Not even the same species of deer. (whitetail fawn in pic 1 and a muntjac in pic 2)


The first pic is from May 2009, the fawn and bobcat were indeed rescued from the Jesusita fire near Santa Barbara, CA. The setting is not a home, but of an animal rescue office. The animals only mingled together for a few hours, as the rescue group had briefly run out of crates during the emergency situation. These two were never anyone's pets, and were released back into the wild after the fire.


The second pic and videos are of Benji (bobcat) and Athena (deer) who were both acquired as babies and kept as household pets by George Krause, who lives in Akron, Ohio. They were not saved from any fire. The videos above were posted in 2012/2013.


Now to totally buzzkill this thread, Benji the bobcat died in late 2014...Here's a (long) post from George explaining what happened....Very sad and tragic.
Don't know what to say. Benji the bobcat

[Sea Six]

^^

Oh my God.

What a sad and horrible story.

[Lakota]

Read wildlife experts that people make a big mistake when they see a fawn in the woods and assume the mother abandoned it. The mother left it but will return. People should leave the fawn alone.
Also, deer are carriers of ticks which carry lyme disease.