Colorado woman puts injured bobcat in car next to her son, 3 years old

A woman in Colorado Springs saw an injured bobcat and decided to pick it up and place the wild animal in her car, inches away from where her 3 year old son was in a safety seat.

Officials in Colorado would like to send everyone else a message.

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.

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.

Read more at AP: Colorado driver puts injured bobcat in car next to child

PHOTO, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019, via Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The seriously injured bobcat in this story, photographed in a crate after a Colorado Springs, Colorado, woman tried to help it by putting it in her car, just inches away from where her child was sitting in a safety seat.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife says the bobcat may have been hit by a vehicle, and posed a serious threat to the woman and her child. It's better to let officials handle injured wildlife, especially a predator, like a bobcat.