Memphis Zoo helps rescue 4 baby pumas
Mother abandoned the kittens in Washington
The Memphis Zoo has helped rescue four puma kittens that were abandoned by their mother, the zoo said Friday.
The mother recently gave birth to the four babies — three females and a male — in the backyard of a home in Washington. U.S. Fish and Wildlife attempted to relocate the mom and her kittens out of the backyard, but the mother ended up abandoning the babies.
After two days, USFW, in cooperation with the Oregon Zoo and the Memphis Zoo, intervened to retrieve the kittens and place them in the care of the Memphis Zoo.
Fedex transported the kittens from the west coast to Memphis with the assistance of the zoo’s director of animal programs, Courtney Janney. According to the Memphis Zoo, the cats were malnourished and dehydrated by the time they arrived in the Bluff City.
The four kittens are currently in quarantine at the zoo’s animal hospital and are being closely monitored by senior veterinarian Dr. Felicia Knightly. Zoo staff said the pumas are doing well and have begun to put on weight and are approaching what would be considered a normal size for their age.
“The staff is taking extra COVID precautions when caring for these kittens. The health and well-being of these rescued kittens are of the (utmost) importance to the Memphis Zoo,” the zoo said in a press release.
It was not immediately clear if the pumas would stay in Memphis.
Wild populations of pumas, also known as cougars or mountain lions, have been in decline in recent decades due to illegal hunting, being hit by cars or through other accidental encounters as humans encroaching upon their natural habitats and through killing by government agencies to protect livestock.
Corinne S Kennedy covers economic development, healthcare and soccer for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached via email at Corinne.kennedy@commercialappeal.com