Orphaned 8-week-old cougar cub receives help from the Oregon Zoo

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A tiny, orphaned cougar cub with a big appetite made a brief stop at the Oregon Zoo’s veterinary medical center this week. The cub — an 8-week-old male with a fuzzy, spotted coat and big, baby-blue eyes — was rescued by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife officers after being found on a logging road outside of Spokane. 

Since the cub wouldn’t stand a chance in the wild without its mom, WDFW bear and cougar specialist Rich Beausoleil contacted Oregon Zoo keeper Michelle Schireman, who serves as the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ species coordinator for cougars. After a short stopover in Portland for some vaccinations and a medical exam, the cub caught a flight to his new permanent home at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado.

“In most cases, we try to arrange for orphaned cubs to go directly to their new homes,” Schireman said. “But in special situations, and depending on whether we have space, we sometimes take care of them at the zoo until their health has stabilized.”

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