Presumably, in a self-defense move, the dying animal hid under the van, trying to escape someone it perceived as a threat before it was turned over to veterinary care.
Upon being examined by a veterinarian, it was determined that the wounds received by the bobcat were terminal—the bobcat would have died slowly if not immediately put out of its misery.
That makes sense of course - it’s just that the way it’s written, you have to guess at all of that. I don’t believe that the writer is going to go very far in this world. He/she can’t convey simple progression of events at all.