As the years progress, wildfires seem to be causing increasing amounts of damage. Although the number of individual fires hasn’t gone up in the past 10 years, the fires that do occur are destroying larger amounts of land.
Wildfires are terrifying experiences, but they don’t just affect humans.
As flames spread throughout wooded territories, fires present a threat to any animal that calls this place home. Some animals have built-in strategies to help them survive these events. “Birds will fly away. Mammals will run. Amphibians and other small creatures will burrow into the ground, hide out in logs, or take cover under rocks,” National Geographic explains. But, despite their tricks, young and small creatures are still particularly at risk.
A few years ago, the Krause family’s hometown was hit by a series of destructive fires.
Luckily, their house had managed to avoid the flames, but the forested areas around their home had been completely destroyed. The family had always had a soft spot for animals, often adopting animals in need. So when a male family member named George discovered two helpless creatures in the remains of the fire, he knew he had to help.
George found a baby bobcat and tiny fawn struggling to survive.
The two baby animals were struggling to breathe in the thick, smoky air, so George immediately brought them home. At first, the family planned to take care of them until they were big enough to be released back into the wild. Turns out, however, the babies had a different plan in mind.
Benji the bobcat and Athena the fawn quickly became a part of the Krause family.
The two wild creatures would snuggle with the family and other pets, play with toys, and nap on the living room furniture. It wasn’t rare for the family to enter the room and see Benji snuggled up with the family dog.
As the Krauses spent more time with Benji and Athena, they were surprised by how natural their presence felt in their life.
Although it may seem weird, owning a bobcat is no different than owning a Savannah cat. Unfortunately, many states have restricted people from owning bobcats as pets. According to Legal Beagle, most areas “ban all ‘exotic’ pets or allow the keeping of bobcats with specific permits.” However people in Alabama, Nevada, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Wisconsin can own them without restriction.
As Benji got older, he made sure to thank his family for saving his life.
Without them, he wouldn’t have made it— and his heartwarming, heartfelt ‘thank you’ has been viewed over 5 million times.
“What a beautiful animal!”
“Wow does that cat ever love that boy!”
“Wow this cat really loves this boy!! Amazing to watch, clearly the cat loves to be held by him and won’t let go!! The way the cat is holding him and rubbing his head on him is true affection and love!!”
Watch Benji’s adorable ‘thank you’ below!
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