Rescued bobcat to be seen by public for first time

The bobcat, named Blob, almost had to be euthanised

A bobcat rescued from an exotic animal facility will be seen in his new forever home in Kent for the first time this month.

The animal, named Blob, was destined to be put to sleep after being retrieved from Hertfordshire's Cat Survival Trust last year.

Its owner Terrence Moore was disqualified from keeping animals for five years and ordered to pay costs of £14,380 for causing unnecessary suffering to the creatures in his care.

Blob will be on display when The Big Cat Sanctuary, in Smarden, Ashford, stages a series of rare open days.

Normally closed to the public, the site has hosted exotic creatures such as snow leopards, lions, pumas, jaguars and cheetahs since being founded in 2000.

And joining Blob the bobcat will be fellow Cat Survival Trust animals such as Frank, who is the UK's only Asian golden cat, a south-east Asia fishing cat named Boson, and Rhys, a Eurasian lynx.

There will also be close-up encounters with other big cats, including a look inside the sanctuary's new state-of-the-art Lion Rescue Centre which houses five lions recently rescued from war-torn Ukraine.

In addition, visitors will be able to hear insights from the site's team of keepers, while an anti-poaching dog unit will be on hand to showcase the vital role it plays in the world of conservation.

The open days run from Thursday to Sunday and 31 July to 3 August.