Colorado driver puts injured bobcat in car next to 3-year-old child

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) - Officials have a warning after a Colorado Springs woman put an injured bobcat in her car, inches away from where her child was in a safety seat: Don't pick up wildlife.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesman Bill Vogrin says the woman spotted the injured adult male cat while driving, wrapped it in a blanket and put it in the back of her SUV on Wednesday.

A boy, about 3 years old, was in the back seat.

"See this bobcat? Notice its large teeth? Imagine the claws within its big paws," wrote the agency on Twitter. "A #ColoradoSprings woman picked up this injured wild cat and put it in her car where her child was seated! NEVER PICK UP WILD ANIMALS. She was lucky."

Agency officials told her to get her boy and herself out of the vehicle when she called to ask what to do.

Vogrin says District Wildlife Manager Sarah Watson responded to the call, opened a door and slammed it shut when she spotted the 20-pound (9-kilogram) cat.

Watson used a trapping device to remove the animal, which was hissing and resisting despite severe internal injuries and paralyzed rear legs.

The mortally injured cat was euthanized.

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