11-month-old female cougar kept as pet removed from New York apartment

An 11-month-old 80-pound cougar was removed from an apartment in New York where the big cat was being kept as a pet illegally.

The owner surrendered the female cougar to animal welfare officials, Kelly Donithan, director of animal disaster response for the Humane Society of the United States, said in a news release on Monday.

According to the Associated Press, the cougar, nicknamed Sasha, spent the weekend at the Bronx Zoo receiving veterinary care and is headed to the Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge in Arkansas.

The Humane Society coordinated with zoo officials, the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York Police Department on the big cat’s removal.

“I’ve never seen a cougar in the wild, but I’ve seen them on leashes, smashed into cages, and crying for their mothers when breeders rip them away. I’ve also seen the heartbreak of owners, like in this case, after being sold not just a wild animal, but a false dream that they could make a good ‘pet’,” Donithan said.

He said the cougar was “relatively lucky” because her owners, who live in the Bronx, recognised that their flat was not a hospitable environment for a wildcat, and surrendered her.

“The owner’s tears and nervous chirps from the cougar as we drove her away painfully drives home the many victims of this horrendous trade and myth that wild animals belong anywhere but the wild,” he said.

Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos asserted that while cougars “may look cute and cuddly when young, these animals can grow up to be unpredictable and dangerous”.

Bronx Zoo director Jim Breheny said the exotic pet trade makes no contribution to the conservation of endangered species.

“These animals often end up in very bad situations, kept by private individuals who don’t have the resources, facilities, knowledge, or expertise to provide for the animals’ most basic needs,” Breheny was quoted as saying.

(With inputs from agencies)