Orphaned cougar on brink of death checks into wildlife rehab center

An orphaned cougar that was found emaciated and near death is now fully on the road to recovery.

However, it took a stroke of luck that was almost unimaginable.

“It checked itself into rehabilitation, which is a first for us,” said Sara Penhallegon, the director of the Center Valley Animal Rescue in Quilcene.

The cougar reportedly wandered onto the property of the animal rescue Oct. 11 and curled up in one of the outdoor dens.

Caretakers discovered the cougar and said the year-old cat was starving and emaciated.

“And so it was this perfect den,” Penhallegon said, “And I think it went in there to die… And so we just happened to stumble across it in time and started the rehabilitation process.”

After two weeks of treatment and feeding the animal to get its strength back up, caretakers sedated the cat and administered medication, took X-rays and performed blood work.

And this week the cougar was flown to a zoo in Waco, Texas, because it was still too young to fend for itself.

The caretakers believe it will be able to flourish there and enjoy a long and healthy life.

Cox Media Group