Wildlife center in Savannah welcomes new cougar cubs. Here’s where you can see them
Two new cubs at the Oatland Island Wildlife Center made their public debut this week marking the reopening of the cougar exhibit.
The cubs, one female and one male, were among four cubs found in a backyard in Washington state. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife tried to relocate them with their mother was unsuccessful so the Association of Zoos & Aquariums Puma Monitoring Program intervened.
All four cubs were transported to the Memphis Zoo in Tennessee, but shortly after the Oatland Island Wildlife Center’s veterinarian Dr. Lesley Mailer received a call asking if the center would want two of the cubs, according to a news release.
The cubs were brought to Savannah in December, just more than a year after the center’s beloved 8-year-old cougar “Shanti” died.
“We missed having Shanti and are excited to see life brought back to the Cougar Crossing exhibit again,” Mailer said in the release.
The cubs were in quarantine, which is required for all new animals, but were released into the exhibit earlier this week.
While isolated, the cubs have enjoyed climbing throughout their enclosure and playing with plushy toys and ropes. Oatland staff describes the girl as a leader that is “confident, independent, inquisitive,” and “always chattering and purring” while the boy is more shy and reserved but loves playing with his sister.
A “baby shower” scheduled for Sunday has been postponed because the male has a minor injury in his front left leg.
The event is when the center hopes to get help from the public in deciding on names for the cubs. Names for consideration can also be submitted online for a $5 donation to the Friends of Oatland website.
The Oatland Island Wildlife Center located at 711 Sandtown Road in Savannah is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission ranges from $3-5 and is free for children age 3 and under.
