Cougar
| Cougar |
Animal Summary
"Syd" our young male cougar that came to us via the State of Oregon has been with the Lincoln Park Zoo since May of 2014. He is very active with his visitors.
"Willow" our newest young female. She is a rescue coming most recently from the North Caroline Zoo. She made her home here in Manitowoc in early Oct. 2014.
Stop in and see our news additions to the cat exhibit and see how they both make Manitowoc their home.
Facts
- Cougars will often drag their large prey after a kill up into a tree, or bury it under grass and leaves to prevent other predators from eating it or taking it away.
- An adult cougar's coat is plain colored being mainly tawny, but can range in shades from silver-gray to reddish white white underparts. A newborn cougar kitten however has black spots until 6 months old.
- A cougar has very strong leg muscles and can leap up to 18 feet vertically and 40 feet horizontally. Although not know for it the cougar can also swim.
Cougars are a protected species with their numbers decreasing due to hunting.
Threats
Threats to the cougar are persecution as a pest animal, depletion of prey, environmental degradation, and habitat fragmentation.