Great Bend’s Brit Spaugh Zoo is getting two young cougars, Zoo Director Scott Gregory said Wednesday.
Gregory will drive to Kansas City International Airport on Thursday and expects the first cougar to arrive in the afternoon. A second cougar is expected next week.
The animals are both males, and both are just a month or two old, he said. They weigh about 30 pounds each. The cougars were destined to be sold on the black market pet trade until they were confiscated by the U.S. Department of Fish & Wildlife, Gregory said. The one arriving today is from California. The one schedule to arrive next week comes from Oregon and is 90 percent blind.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) is placing these animals with the Great Bend zoo, Gregory said. The zoo has been working toward AZA accreditation for several years, and even though it has not yet earned full accreditation the zoo has benefitted from its affiliation with the non-profit organization several times. In this case, AZA inspectors were impressed with the care given to Phoenix, a rescued panther that was on loan to Great Bend for more than a year.
“We’re pretty excited to have some babies at the zoo,” Gregory said. “We’re trying to bring in some young animals for people to enjoy.”
As with any new animals, the cougar cubs won’t go on display immediately. Rather, they will be in quarantine for up to three months. Members of the Great Bend Zoological Society will have an opportunity to view them before they are moved to their permanent display, an area next to the black bear enclosure.
And, because Cougars also happen to be the Barton Community College mascot, expect a BCC-related contest to name the cougars in the future.