"This is a first": Bodycam captures officers freeing huge bobcat trapped in car (VIDEO)

It’s not every day the police receive a call about a bobcat in a car, but that’s precisely what happened in Wisconsin earlier this week.

On Tuesday, April 18, the phone rang at Portage County Sheriff’s Office. “I have a bobcat in my car,” a worried citizen told the police.

Dispatch was skeptical but quickly sent three deputies to the location to investigate.

What they discovered left them stunned: a big wild cat was in the vehicle. “You can imagine the shock they were in,” Sheriff Mike Lukas wrote in a Facebook post, recounting the incident.

The bobcat had climbed behind the car’s grille and became stuck. Unsure how to handle the situation, the deputies called for reinforcements.

In this photo shared by Lukas, the animal can be seen crouched down in the grille of the Toyota.

Next, Conservation Warden Bryan Lockman arrived on the scene.

Bodycam footage shows him assessing the situation and calmly working to rescue the bobcat.

One officer held a torch to illuminate the vehicle while Warden Lockman used a catchpole to secure the animal.

After a few tense moments, he confirmed, “Yeah, I got him.”

“It’s a big one, too!” exclaimed another officer as the bobcat was pulled from the grille.

The powerful cat launched into the air, struggling to escape the loop of the catchpole.

Lockman swiftly guided the bobcat into his truck in a single manoeuvre, closing the door behind it. It can be seen leaping in the bodycam footage screenshot below.

After the incident, the sheriff confirmed that the animal was successfully returned to the wild.

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The officers and the warden handled the unique situation professionally and carefully, ensuring that the bobcat and the public remained safe.

They have been praised on social media for their handling of the situation.

Well damn… What a great job!

Wisconsin: Bodycam footage captured the moment that Conservation Warden Bryan Lockman was able to pull the bobcat out from the vehicle and safely into the bed of a pickup truck.

A group of Wisconsin sheriff deputies couldn’t believe their eyes… pic.twitter.com/Vq6R6zUt7M

— 💫Queen of Seventeen ✝️❤️🇺🇲🥃 (@AreYouAwaQe) April 21, 2023

Wow!! 😬😊Glad all are safe and well! 👏

— Lisa Matye (@lisa_matye) April 20, 2023

It’s quite a story, but Lukas says it’s “all in a day’s work at the Portage County Sheriff’s Office.”