Pregnant Cougar Escapes From Handler

[The Straight Story]

Pregnant Cougar Escapes From Handler
Search Of Wooded Area Fails To Locate Animal

POINCIANA, Fla. -- A pregnant cougar being taken to a veterinarian for a cesarean section escaped Saturday and ran into a wooded area in south Osceola County, wildlife officials said.

Jungle Adventures in Christmas holds a permit for the captive-born cougar named Sierra, but the animal was in the possession of a woman in Kissimmee when it escaped, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said. The animal somehow slipped out of its two leashes when it ran off.

Wildlife officials were investigating why the woman had possession of the animal.

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/19355072/detail.html#-

There is a joke in the title somewhere....

[LaurenG]

1. If they think it's well enough to find a place in the woods to give birth

why were they taking it in for a c-section? (I know you don't know either) Poor cougar. :(

[Triana]

8. Human wants to sell the cubs/kittens

if the cougar goes off to birth them someplace where Human doesn't know about or can't get to, she can't sell them - without finding them first.

That's my theory.

[floridablue]

2. I didn't know "cougars" had handlers LOL

[greguganus]

5. And I thought cougars were beyond their fertile years. n/t

[Beacool]

27. Not necessarily.

A woman in her forties can still conceive.

}(

[MADem]

3. That certainly is a headline! nt

[havocmom]

4. Why am I hearing Hall & Oats in my head

:shrug:

[madrchsod]

6. i thought you were talking about.....the other kind of cougar

[Triana]

7. WHY oh WHY do dumbass humans think it's a good idea to have WILD animals as pets?

WHY? "Jungle Adventures" DECLAWED this cat so she is not only a Mother but she is DEFENSELESS. Jesus H. Friggin CHRIST! :grr:

"The cougar's front paws have been declawed, and the animal is not known to be mean,"

Why can't humans LEAVE WILD ANIMALS ALONE - STOP destroying their habitats, STOP trying to POSSESS them and turn them into defenseless PROPS?

Oh yes. Of COURSE: PROFIT

OK. WHY are humans so STUPID and GREEDY? :mad:

Why would a big cat like that need a C-section? I rather think the human idiot or "Jungle Adventures" wants the kittens/cubs to SELL and wanted to make sure the cat didn't birth them off someplace where Human Idiot couldn't get to them - so figured she'd take the cougar/cat to the vet to have the cubs "removed".

That's my theory. I HOPE I'm wrong.

This poor animal should NOT be in possession of humans. NOR should she have been "altered" so as to be defenseless if she got loose - and with cubs, no less. Poor thing.

[JVS]

9. *snerk*

[Merlot]

10. Yea! Score one for the cougar!

and to bad for the stupid human that tries to own a wild animal. Stupid human is lucky she wasn't mauled.

[Triana]

11. Exactly.

I hope the poor cat finds a safe place to raise her babies away from humans.

They DECLAWED the poor thing. Gaahh!

[Merlot]

16. Declawed? oh, that's horrible!

Well, now she's in the wild raising babies without her strongest defense. Although she still has her teeth. She was smart enough to get away from stupid human so maybe she'll do ok.

Humans that declaw animalsare the lowest life form. Declawing isn't just clipping the claw as some people like to think, it's equivalent of cutting off someone's finger at the knuckle, not the nail. That's how horrible it is. And to do that to a wild animal is beyond inhumane.

My thoughts go with the cougar - such beautiful animals.

[Hansel]

20. She needs to be recaptured.

She is not going to fare well without her claws not only in terms of defense, but in hunting. She has hungry babies to feed which means she needs to eat more. It's going to be difficult to sustain the capture of a higher volume of food without her claws.

Unfortunately, she is going to be more feral and more difficult to catch because she is declawed and has newborn or "near born" babies to protect. She will be more adept at hiding.

We found a declawed domestic cat hanging around the dumpster behind where I worked, likely thrown out after someone in the apt behind us moved out. She weighed less than 4 lbs because she was unable to catch food. One of my co-workers took her in and the vet said that besides lack of food, she had no underlying condition contributing to her weight loss. She ended up weighing over 10 lbs after a couple months of living with these kind souls.

People have no business keeping cougars. However, for our domestic cats we use soft paws. They were simple to apply and the cats have no pain or the behavioral changes typically associated with declawing. They don't seem to mind them or even notice them at all. Anyone who owns a cougar should be forced to apply soft paws to them while they are fully awake.

[Creena]

23. Sad, but true.

There is no way she can compete without her claws. A sanctuary is the best choice for her and her babies if they can't be released into the wild.

Thanks to you and your co-worker for helping the cat. I will never comprehend people who don't care for their animals. Declawing is just awful. I refuse to work at a veterinary office that declaws for non-medical reasons. Soft paws are fantastic, aren't they?

[Triana]

25. she needs to be recapured by people who do NOT seek to profit from her though...

...and animal or big cat sanctuary. Her and her cubs.

RIGHT - people have NO BUSINESS keeping cougars, or any wild animals or big cats. She's now subject to humans for survival and she's a victim of their abuse of her at the SAME TIME.

What a horrible thing to do to an animal.

HORRIBLE.

[havocmom]

17. and far away from gators, which would also be a problem

especially for a clawless lion.

[cwydro]

12. That headline is DUzy worthy...

[unpossibles]

13. I thought this thread would be about Demi Moore. nt

[flvegan]

14. Midlo has a handler?

Who'd have thought that?

[LeftyMom]

19. You are in so much trouble.

:rofl:

[Deja Q]

15. Thanks for your the sentence; I did need that giggle right now.

:pals:

[Occam Bandage]

18. Handler? I hardly know 'er.

[csziggy]

21. Poinciana is an immense subdivision/development located in a wetlands/scrub palmetto area

Black bear, gators and bobcats are likely to be common there. Not too far from that area, the Ocala National Forest has signs along the highways warning of bear crossings.

A declawed cougar will have problems hunting adequate game to feed her cubs and problems defending them from other predators. And since Sierra was captive-born, she will not have the skills to hunt that cats learn from their mothers.

I hope she survives and that her cubs survive, but I worry this will not have a good end. :cry:

[northernlights]

22. all the skills in the world won't help

without claws she can't hunt and she and cubs will starve. Man I hope they find her. :(

[csziggy]

24. Yes, chances are she will not survive.

There is a slim chance she could develop her own hunting style but given the relative scarcity of prey, she is not likely to. I hope she can be found in time.

[Triana]

26. I hope she can be found by some KIND humans, not greedy stupid ones...

..that want to profit from her.

Those are the type that forced her INTO this mess. She needs someone different to find her.

[csziggy]

28. Agreed!