Puma Cubs Greet the Day in the UK
May 11, 2012
The UK's Exmoor Zoo just announced the birth of three beautiful Puma cubs! Born on March 31, the zoo kept them a secret until they could be seen at the mouth of their den in their enclosure. These five-week-old cubs look nothing like their parents as they are all covered in camouflaging spots.
Curator Danny Reynolds said “We are all so proud of Fu and Nikko, our adult pumas, as this is the first time either have been parents." The parents and cubs progress has been carefully monitored by zoo staff and the babies are thriving.
Pumas are one of the most secretive large cats in the world. They go by many names, from Mountain lion to Cougar. Very few are maintained in Zoos compared to years ago; Fu and Nikko have both been bred in Europe and brought to the UK to help reverse that scenario. The UK has less than three actual pairs spread around its shores. In the wild, this cat has one of the largest distributions of any mammal covering two of the biggest land masses on earth -- North and South America encompassing both the Andes and Rockies as well as the Amazon rainforest. Like the leopard, the puma is extremely adaptable and able to live around people without being seen or noticed in the wild. Their terriroty often can cover an area of 100 square miles.
Photo credit: John Hammond