Starting a new job is always a combination of exciting and scary. Especially when it’s somewhere you’ve never been before. I’ve learned to expect the unexpected… and I sure did not expect the surprise my first week had in store for me.
Osceola National Forest is a lovely location filled with memorable sites like Ocean Pond and Olustee Battlefield, and keystone species such as the endangered red cockaded woodpecker and gopher tortoise.
View of Ocean Pond
These sites are great for visitors and, since I am in the recreation department, they are my focus. However, what I am truly passionate about is wildlife, and sometimes the visitors and wildlife don’t mesh well.
Some visitors to the forest have been known to abandon pets here. People have left cats, dogs, pigs, and my coworker Kenny has even seen a mule left in the woods! Not only is it inhumane to leave domesticated animals to fend for themselves in a harsh unforgiving environments, but it also hurts the native species the Forest Service is trying to protect.
Wild boars run rampant in Florida forests, rutting up the ground and killing native species, and their presence here originated from people leaving them in the woods. On St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge, where I just worked, the boars would destroy endangered sea turtle nests. Since coming to Osceola National Forest, I’ve seen damage at Hog Pen Landing campground from them rutting up the ground.
Ocean Pond Campground Info Board
Personally, I’ve seen several cats at Ocean Pond Campground running around. These feral cats struggle to eat to survive and are a real threat to many bird species. Cats have contributed to multiple extinctions worldwide, and with Osceola being home to the endangered Red Cockaded Woodpecker, it is crucial that we remove them.
Many of the camp hosts take it upon themselves to leave out traps to catch the feral cats. Once caught, usually a Forest Service employee takes the cat to the humane society. Ideally these cats would find a welcoming home where they no longer have to scrounge for food, but that is not often the reality. Most of the cats become too feral to ever be a pet again, and they must be put down. Others carry a feline upper respiratory infection that cause discharge from their eyes. Since this could infect other cats in the shelter, they are put down to prevent the infection from spreading.
Having grown up on a farm with barn cats, I am familiar with this condition. Many kittens have it, but we just wipe away the discharge with a damp rag and sometimes give them penicillin. The kittens usually get better. However, the humane society won’t take that risk.
Trap used to catch feral cats
My first-time visiting Ocean Pond Campground I spotted a pregnant cat sneaking through the site. The second time I visited, two days later, there was a litter of three kittens mewling in one of the traps. My heart hurt for the kittens, as the camp host, Mark, explained how they heard them crying the night before.
He found them under a bush. The one crying the loudest was twisted in Spanish moss, struggling to breath with it wrapped around his neck. Mark had saved the kitten, and put them all in the cage to protect them from the predators. Everyone had been looking out for the mother, but no one had seen her since. It is likely that she left, because she didn’t believe she could feed them and also survive herself. Two concerned visitors, Cindy Bell and Tony Angelo, came over to listen, and we all went to check on the kittens.
The litter of kittens snuggling
Less than a day-old kittens were resting on a blanket, and it was hard to tell if they were okay. It was late in the day, and no one was sure the kittens could make it another night. The hypothermia, starvation, and predators were all too real threats for these kittens. Newborn kittens should be drinking milk every two hours, and these kittens hadn’t had any milk all day. We all wanted to help the kittens, but there was only so much we could do.
The forest service takes cats that are caught on site to the humane society, but the humane society wasn’t a certain haven. The kittens could have the upper respiratory infection that would result in them being put down. However, the infection itself wasn’t a death sentence. I’ve had many cats who used to have it as a kitten. I was tempted to take the kittens myself, but working a full time job would prevent me from caring for them properly. I didn’t want to risk the kittens going hungry while I was gone for eleven hours every day.
Luckily the kittens found a home. Cindy and Tony have been caring for them. Everyday the kittens get stronger. They run around, climb, purr almost every time they drink milk, and one kitten has even started opening his eyes!
Cindy with a kitten Tony with a kitten whose eyes are open!
I’ve gone over to Cindy and Tony’s twice after work to help feed the kittens. It’s the wrong direction to go home, but completely worth it. Cindy and Tony saved these kittens lives, and this experience has not only led to our friendship, but it has shown me that though some people do behave selfishly, there are also people like Cindy and Tony who are kind and will go out of their way to help those in need.
Cindy and I feeding a kitten
I am not going to ignore the actions of those who abandoned these kittens’ mother, that is the best way to repeat history. However, I am also choosing to focus on the heroic actions of Cindy and Tony. The news mostly reports on the bad, and while it is newsworthy, I believe this has led some to view all of humanity through this lens. The story of these kittens isn’t all happy, but it does inspire me to not only see the good in others, but to also strive to be the type of person who does good. Whenever, I feel bummed or tired at work I’m going to think of the rescue of these kittens, and I’m going to push myself to do as much good as I can while I’m in the Resource Assistant Program. I hope to use this opportunity to better myself, and to help the Forest Service and everyone who visits Osceola National Forest, whether it’s by working to repopulate an endangered species, maintaining a recreation site, or by saving kittens.
Me playing with the kittens
Sleeping Kittens
Agency: U.S Forest Service
Program: Resource Assistant Program (RAP)
Location: Osceola National Forest