Big purrs to commercial, documentary and freelance photographer, Lee Celano for capturing two special AKP graduates who were released in 2017! One came to us as a release at 5 weeks and another as a bobcat mistakenly caught in a coyote soft trap, which smashed its paw flat like a pancake, and would have been amputated had we arrived much later than we did. Fortunately a sweet local couple came across the stressed and injured bob. Soft catch traps do maim animals, especially in areas where trappers aren't checking traps every 12 to 24 hours and in freezing temps, whether they catch bobs, or lynx in areas where they are protected. The paws can get frostbite and lack of circulation, requiring a limb being severed. We can always be available to help with humane predator control to follow state guidelines. Big purrs for the great video and story, along with these special photos from Lee Celanao and Lee Guidry's collaboration from the Daily Advertiser, as we protect and give back to Louisiana indigenous species! As a cat lover himself, we appreciate Lee and his pet 'Kitty" for the remarkable story and coverage!  <3 http://www.leecelano.com/Rescued-Bobcats-Released-into-Wild

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Lee's Bio:

I connect with the world through my photography. Working as a photojournalist has brought me to places and introduced me to people I could have not have otherwise imagined. It has helped me to better understand the struggles of everyday life for people, and shown me heroic acts and joyful moments, even in the midst of calamity.
I have traveled to Central America, Haiti, Russia, Somalia, and South Korea for various projects. I am adventurous, and curious about the world, but grounded in my mission to photograph honest stories about events and issues, and the people at their core.
My love and appreciation for Louisiana, and the southern US, goes back to 1990 when I first visited New Orleans. After years of frequent visits photographing the beauty, and darkness, that is New Orleans, I bought a run-down house and moved there. In Cajun Louisiana I found another layer in the state’s rich cultural heritage. Fascinated by Cajuns’ lifestyle, music and cuisine, I began building relationships and documenting life in one of the most unique places in North America. My work on the Cajuns continues, and am currently writing and shooting images for a book exploring their food culture.

I eventually left Louisiana, but in 2005 I returned to New Orleans on assignment to cover the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. I was shocked to find the city I once called home under water, almost vacant. I relocated to New Orleans and spent the next several years documenting the region’s recovery. The purpose in my work was to show how Katrina had uprooted so many lives. My images portray communities rebuilding—physically and emotionally—even in the face of subsequent hurricanes and the 2010 Gulf Oil Spill.
I am currently based in Lafayette, Louisiana, from where I am constantly exploring the rich, unique and diverse Southeast US. I can’t wait to see what’s around the next turn.

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