Oregon Zoo to put cougar cub on exhibit this week

PORTLAND, Ore. –– The Oregon Zoo’s cougar cub will be on exhibit starting Thursday, Nov. 11, though visitors will need to keep a sharp eye out to see the youngster. Like all baby cougars, the female cub is well-camouflaged by the brown spots on her coat.

Since her birth Sept. 19, the cub has lived in a maternity den with her mother, Chinook. She and Chinook will have access to the cougar exhibit in the morning, while the cub’s father, Paiute, will be on exhibit in the afternoon.

“The cub has been growing quickly and is in excellent health,” said Kim Smith, zoo director. “When we felt confident that she was ready to spend some of her time outdoors, keepers started introducing her to the exhibit.”

The cub, who keepers describe as “brave and feisty,” has ventured into the exhibit several times this past week, first with the exhibit’s viewing areas completely closed and then with zoo staff watching from the viewing areas.

“As we expected, the cub quickly adapted to having people around,” said Michelle Schireman, Oregon Zoo cougar keeper. “She’s quite the little explorer. Her comfort was the determining factor in our decision to open the exhibit to zoo visitors.”

According to Schireman, the cub has become increasingly confident, and will now go into the exhibit even when Chinook chooses to stay inside; in these instances, mother and cub check in with each other by vocalizing back and forth.

Cougars –– also known as mountain lions, pumas and (in Florida) panthers –– live mostly in the western United States and Canada. They weigh from 75 to 150 pounds and have a carnivorous diet both in the wild and at the zoo. Females are either pregnant or raising cubs for the majority of their lives. After three months of gestation, two to three cubs are usually born in a litter and live with their mother for up to two years.

(From an Oregon Zoo press release)