By Matthew Nash
Olympic Peninsula News Group
JOYCE — Sequim, a cougar found in Joyce, made its public debut last week at the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley, Minn.
The now 60-pound male was found as an orphaned kitten weighing 13 pounds, discovered with his 11-pound sister, now named Olympia, last October on Jennifer Gross’ property in Joyce.
With assistance from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, the cougars, also known as pumas and mountain lions, were taken to Quilcene’s Center Valley Animal Rescue, where its director, Sara Penhallegon — a licensed wildlife rehabilitator — provided fluids, vitamins and their first feeding since being found, she said.
Penhallegon said the cougars were starving to death and appeared to have been on their own for quite some time.
“At that age, probably 3 to 4 months old, they should have been double their size,” she said.
Gross said her husband spotted one of the kittens on a Sunday evening and the couple assumed it was out with its mom. However, on Tuesday, he discovered one of the kittens lying in his driveway.
Gross said she contacted the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office, which in turn contacted Fish and Wildlife officials, who found two live kittens and a deceased kitten 15 feet from the Gross’ driveway in a hole.
After Quilcene, the animals were briefly cared for in Eastern Washington before being taken to Minnesota the next weekend after their discovery, Gross said.
Once in Minnesota, the pumas were placed in quarantine and treated for a variety of parasites and other minor injuries, zoo officials said.
Veterinarians attempted to help Olympia, the female cougar, at the zoo, officials said, but she developed significant issues walking on her hind legs and she later died.
Sequim, the male cougar, is now part of the Medtronic Minnesota Trail exhibits at the Minnesota Zoo that also features black bears, gray wolves, a bald eagle and a porcupine.
He made his official debut Friday and will alternate living areas with the zoo’s older female puma, zoo officials said.
“It has been a long road for this animal, and we are so happy the Minnesota Zoo is able to provide him with a great home,” said Tom Ness, curator for the Tropics and Medtronic Minnesota Trails.
Gross said she’s been periodically checking on the cougar and zookeepers have been keeping her informed.
“He looks amazing,” she said. “I’ll always know it’s him because he has a notch in his ear.”
For more information on Sequim the cougar and the Minnesota Zoo, visit www.mnzoo.org.
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Matthew Nash is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. Reach him at mnash@sequimgazette.com.
Jennifer Gross Cougar siblings, named Sequim and Olympia, were found last October in Joyce alone and malnourished. They were treated in Quilcene and Spokane before being transported to the Minnesota Zoo for care. Olympia’s injuries were too severe despite veterinarians’ best efforts, which led her to die, zoo officials said.
