In August of 2021, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and NYPD rescued an eleven month old, eighty pound cougar named Sasha from an apartment in the Bronx. Her former owners surrendered her after realizing that she, like other wild animals people try and keep as pets, was wild and dangerous. After spending a weekend at the Bronx Zoo, Sasha was relocated here to Turpentine Creek.
The cougar, also known as the mountain lion or puma, is a large cat native to the Americas. They can weigh over two hundred pounds, and are capable of taking down prey much larger than a human. Although shy around people in the wild, in captivity, they are extremely dangerous and far from tame.
A common theme around wild animals kept as pets is the myth that they can be raise as pets, even though that is far from the case. That was the case with Sasha. She might have been easy enough to handle as a young cub, but the older she got, the more dangerous she became. She also has different needs than a housecat – needs that a person living in an apartment in the middle of New York City cannot possibly meet.
After her rescue, Sasha travelled to her forever home: Turpentine Creek. She originally lived with our two other cougars, but was later moved down to Rescue Ridge. The area is flat – and, more importantly for Sasha, quiet. She prefers the solitude to the noise and unfamiliar people of the Discovery Area. She enjoys stalking her interns and neighbors, playing with her toys, and investigating her newest enrichment.
Sources
https://earth.org/siberian-tigers-numbers-are-on-the-rise-but-the-climate-crisis-could-change-that/
https://newsroom.wcs.org/News-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16617/Bronx-Zoo-Assists-with-Surrender-of-Pet-Cougar-Living-in-NYC-Home–Heading-To-a-Sanctuary-in-Arkansas.aspx
https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/Mountain-Lion