In Quilcene, Washington, a starving cougar found her way to an animal rescue and cuddled into an empty pen. An animal caretaker at the Central Valley Animal Rescue found the emaciated young female in one of the shelter cages likely “looking for a place to die.”
According to the Peninsula Daily News, the shelter director Sara Penhallegon said the cougar arrived earlier in the month, and the very surprised staff provided the big cat with food, water and medical care. When first discovered, she was “just skin, bones and organs.”
And for two weeks Penhallegon said she ripped apart chicken breasts and worked up to small animals to feed her every hour or so. After the cat gained strength, they were able to safely sedate her to perform an examination and do blood work – hopefully to find out what had happened to the young animal.
The cougar showed no signs of injury or poisoning, and it is thought she had been starving because she was so young and had not yet learned to hunt and fend for herself. Officials believe a dead female cougar found six-weeks earlier could have been this one-year-old’s mother.
Cougars stay with their mothers for up to two years and are not easily rehabilitated because they are so dangerous to humans.
It is impossible to teach a cougar how to hunt, and the only options would have been to euthanize her or find her a place to live out her life safely. The Department of Fish and Wildlife were able to find her a permanent home at the natural habitat Cameron Park Zoo in Waco, Texas.
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A zoo?? They sent her to a zoo? to be on display and a small enclosure. Why not a wildlife sanctuary where she could live with her tribe in a large outside area?? Very poor choice in my opinion.
I.do not like the idea she should be moved from Washington to Texas. Why? I’m sure there is a place in Wash, Ore or even CA for her to go. In Texas she has no legal protections.