MINOT, N.D. (KXNET) — Last week, one Minot zoo said farewell to one of the family favorites, Bodie the bobcat.

Bodie has been a resident of the Roosevelt Park Zoo since November 2008.

Before Bodie called Minot home, the bobcat was someone’s pet. Bodie escaped from the owner’s house and was later taken to the zoo.

Zoos around the country face criticism for keeping animals in enclosures for entertainment.

However, animals like Bodie who are born in captivity are unable to be released into the wild.

“Bodie wasn’t born to be a pet, he could’ve been in the wild and as much as I loved him and I loved working with him and getting to know him, it made me sad he didn’t get to be what he was made to be,” said Roosevelt Park Zoo Zookeeper, Bobbi Van Dyke.

Van Dyke does say unfortunately bobcats are part of the pet trade just as much as lions and tigers.

However, to their benefit, they are not currently on the endangered species list.