SAN DIEGO – A bobcat that veterinarians believe got hit by a car has healed up and is now back in the wild, the San Diego Humane Society announced.

The bobcat had been in the care of the Humane Society’s Project Wildlife team for about three weeks before its release on Wednesday.

He was initially found by a good Samaritan at Mission Trails Regional Park on Jan. 18, the organization said. The Humane Society’s law enforcement team was called out to help, bringing the bobcat to the Veterinary Emergency Group in Encinitas where it was triaged and given overnight care.

The organization said the bobcat had arrived at the Humane Society on Jan. 19 with injuries that were consistent with a car crash. Project Wildlife’s veterinarians at the Pilar & Chuck Bahde Wildlife Center gave the animal pain medication, performed radiographs and treated some scrapes and bruises.

When the bobcat was stabilized, it moved to the Ramona Wildlife Center, a center that specializes in care for native apex predators. Staff at the center conducted additional medical tests, such as a dental exam, to monitor the cat’s condition.

During the dental exam, the bobcat had to get a broken tooth extricated, the organization said.

After several weeks, the bobcat was monitored to make sure he was able to feed on his own, before letting him go back into the wild.

The bobcat was released on Wednesday afternoon at the same area he was found, Mission Trails Regional Park.