N.S. Hope for Wildlife looks after weak bobcat after icy weather

A winter weary bobcat receives some TLC at Hope for Wildlife.

While most Nova Scotians received chocolates, roses and cards on Valentine’s Day, Hope Swinimer and her team got something small and furry.

“It’s an emaciated, weak bobcat,” said Swinimer, founder of Hope for Wildlife. “He was probably born in 2024. If you can catch a bobcat, you know they’re very weak.”

Swinimer said the ongoing icy conditions in Nova Scotia this winter can pose challenges for animals like the bobcat, which typically goes after snowshoe hares.

“We tend to see a lot of bobcats throughout the year,” she said. “When you get winters like this with all that snow and ice, it makes it difficult for all the wildlife.

“We see an incredible amount of calls after a storm. Yesterday alone we had over 50 calls on down and out birds and mammals.”

Swinimer said the frozen landscape also presents a hurdle to her staff.

“It adds a whole extra layer of work just to get in and out of the units,” she said. “They’re frozen shut, they’re difficult to maneuver.”

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