Two young cougar kittens who were recently reported to have been seen wandering without their mother in Alberta’s Bow Valley have been captured and are now being temporarily cared for by the Calgary Zoo’s Wilder Institute.
In an email sent to Global News on Tuesday, zoo officials said they took the orphaned cougar kittens in after being contacted by Alberta Fish and Wildlife.
Last week, a wildlife photographer who has been tracking cougar activity near Canmore, Alta., for years spoke to Global News about seeing evidence that led him to believe the cougar kittens’ mother was killed by a hunter.
“At approximately five to six months old, they are still heavily dependent on their mother and would not have survived in the wild without intervention,” zoo officials said Tuesday.
“Our animal care, health and welfare team has given them a visual heath assessment, and we’re happy to share that they are in good body condition and are doing well.
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“A full health exam will be conducted later this week. While their stay with us will be short, they’re receiving exceptional care as we work with industry partners to find them a safe, suitable forever home at another facility in Canada.”
Zoo officials added that the public will not be allowed to see the cougar kittens.
Sheena Campbell, a spokesperson for Alberta Public Safety and Emergency Services, said fish and wildlife officers captured the young cougars near Canmore on Feb. 14.
“(They) have since collected the traps and are working with officials from the ministries of Forestry and Parks and Environment and Protected Areas who are co-ordinating the long-term housing arrangements for the animals,” she wrote in an email, adding that next steps are still being determined while the Calgary Zoo cares for the animals.
She added that an investigation by fish and wildlife officers “determined that the reported harvesting of a female cougar in the Canmore area was done so legally as part of a regulated hunt.”
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