Quebec zoo adopts Alberta cougars

After a mother cougar was poached in Alberta, Parc Safari took in her orphaned cubs to give them a safe home.

Two weeks ago Hemingford, Que.’s Parc Safari adopted two orphaned cougar cubs from Alberta, where cougars can still be found in Canada.

A mother cougar was shot by a poacher in Alberta in February, leaving her babies behind, according to Parc Safari CEO Serge Lussier. That’s when he got the call from the Alberta Wildlife Game Warden.

“I have two cubs, two kittens, five months old, four or five months old. Out in the wild, they will die. They can’t survive,” Lussier said.

He said time was pressing and there are only two options in cases like this: the animals that can’t survive in the wild can either be placed in accredited zoos or be euthanized.

“We don’t want to euthanize them,” said Lussier.

He called on the Calgary and Vancouver Zoos to hold the cubs while Parc Safari revamped an enclosure for the siblings. They moved into their new home in late July and seem to be settling in. Though the female is more on the shy side, her brother gives her security, said Lussier.

Motion sensor cameras inside the enclosure show the 10 month old siblings exploring together. Lussier explained that cougars are not an endangered species, but are certainly more rare than they used to be.

“There used to be cougars all over Eastern Canada. There’s none in Ontario. There is none in the east. not in the Eastern United States anymore. They used to be all over, right? Now they’re only out West. Let’s protect what’s left,” he said.

Parc Safari put up a naming contest for the two new residents on its website to encourage families to get involved and learn more about these big beautiful cats.

“Let’s be aware that our backyard, our beautiful Canada, needs to be protected,” said Lussier, pointing to the dozing felines.

Parc Safari is open year-round for visits.