NEW YORK CITY – Aug. 30, 2021 – The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), New York City Police Department (NYPD) and the Bronx Zoo collaborated last week to remove an 11-month-old, approximately 80-pound, female cougar from a New York City home on Thursday night. The HSUS was on scene with the owner who surrendered the cougar. The NYSDEC and NYPD worked to coordinate the safe removal of the big cat from the home and transport her to the Bronx Zoo where she was cared for by veterinarians and animal care staff over the weekend until her transport to an Arkansas animal sanctuary this afternoon. The cougar is now on her way to Turpentine Creek, an accredited sanctuary where she will receive lifelong care.       

Kelly Donithan, director of animal disaster response for the Humane Society of the United States, who was on scene with the cougar and facilitated the transport, said, “I’ve never seen a cougar in the wild, but I’ve seen them on leashes, smashed into cages, and crying for their mothers when breeders rip them away. I’ve also seen the heartbreak of owners, like in this case, after being sold not just a wild animal, but a false dream that they could make a good ‘pet.’ This cougar is relatively lucky that her owners recognized a wild cat is not fit to live in an apartment or any domestic environment. The owner’s tears and nervous chirps from the cougar as we drove her away painfully drives home the many victims of this horrendous trade and myth that wild animals belong anywhere but the wild. We are thankful to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and everyone who was involved in dealing with this complex situation for helping make this rescue possible.”

“The NYPD, working with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Police, the Humane Society of the United States and the Bronx Zoo was able to safely receive and remove an 80-pound cougar from a private home in New York City. I want to thank the officers from the Emergency Service Unit and the Animal Cruelty Investigation Squad who were there to ensure that the large cat was safely removed. The cougar was transferred with assistance from the Humane Society of the United States to the Bronx Zoo and is now headed to a sanctuary where the cat can receive the appropriate care. The case is currently under investigation and no further information is available at this time,” said Police Commissioner Dermot Shea.

“Wildlife like cougars are not pets,” said NYSDEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. “While cougars may look cute and cuddly when young, these animals can grow up to be unpredictable and dangerous. NYSDEC is thankful to our partners at the New York Police Department, the Humane Society of the United States, Bronx Zoo Wildlife Conservation Society, and Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge for their efforts to advance the surrender of this wild animal and transport it to a safe location.”

Sara Amundson, president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund, said, “A majestic species native to the United States and much of the Americas, cougars thrive in their natural habitats, not in a city home. Individuals and unqualified entities simply cannot meet these wild animals’ complex needs. The sad situation from which the cat is being rescued is a textbook example of why Congress must, once and for all, pass the Big Cat Public Safety Act.”

If signed into law, the Big Cat Public Safety Act would strengthen existing laws to prohibit the breeding and possession of big cat species such as lions, tigers, cheetahs and jaguars, except by qualified entities.

Jim Breheny, director of the Bronx Zoo and executive vice president of the Wildlife Conservation Society Zoos & Aquarium, said, “At the Bronx Zoo, we were glad to assist the agencies working to rescue this cougar and provide care and housing for her until her transfer. We have long opposed the private ownership of big cats as pets. Big cats in the exotic pet trade make no contribution to the conservation of their species. These animals often end up in very bad situations, kept by private individuals who don’t have the resources, facilities, knowledge, or expertise to provide for the animals’ most basic needs. In addition to these welfare concerns for the animals, the keeping of big cats by private people poses a real safety hazard to the owner, the owner’s family and the community at large.” 

New York has long seen cases involving dangerous animals in private residences that threaten public safety, including a case in 2003 where the NYPD removed an adult tiger from a Harlem apartment with the assistance of Bronx Zoo staff, and in 2004 when a child in Suffolk County was attacked by his father’s pet leopard. The Bronx Zoo responds periodically to emergency calls by providing antivenom when individuals with exotic venomous snakes get bitten. In 2020, New York increased its regulation of ownership of wild  animals.

“We have witnessed countless wild animals kept in shoddy, unstable cages, and participated in rescues that resulted from animals escaping and roaming the streets,” Tanya Smith, Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge president, commented. “In these cases, the escaped animals are often killed, and people can be harmed. It’s as much of a public safety issue as it is an animal welfare issue. We are so happy we can provide a safe and proper environment for this cougar to be free without being at risk of causing harm or being harmed.”

Additional Photos/video b-roll for download here

Media Contacts:

·        The Humane Society of the United States, Rodi Rosensweig, 202-809-8711, rrosensweig@humanesociety.org

·        Bronx Zoo, Max Pulsinelli, 571-218-7601, mpulsinelli@wcs.org

·        NYSDEC, Lori Severino, 518-402-8000, PressOffice@dec.ny.gov

·        Turpentine Creek, Cheryl King, 479-981-3344, marketing@tcwr.org  

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Founded in 1954, the Humane Society of the United States fights the big fights to end suffering for all animals. Together with millions of supporters, we take on puppy mills, factory farms, trophy hunts, animal testing and other cruel industries. With our affiliates, we rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals every year through our animal rescue team’s work and other hands-on animal care services. We fight all forms of animal cruelty to achieve the vision behind our name: A humane society.  Learn more about our work at humanesociety.org. Subscribe to Kitty Block’s blog, A Humane World. Follow the HSUS Media Relations department on Twitter. Read the award-winning All Animals magazine. Listen to the Humane Voices Podcast.  

The Bronx Zoo, located on 265 acres of hardwood forest in Bronx, NY, opened on Nov. 8, 1899. It is world-renowned for its leadership in the areas of animal welfare, husbandry, veterinary care, education, science and conservation. The zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and is the flagship park of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) which manages the world’s largest network of urban wildlife parks including the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo and New York Aquarium. Our curators and animal care staff work to save, propagate, and sustain populations of threatened and endangered species. We have educated and inspired more than 400 million visitors at our zoos and aquarium since our opening and host approximately 4 million guests at our parks each year – including about a half-million students annually. The Bronx Zoo is the largest youth employer in the borough of the Bronx, providing opportunity and helping to transform lives in one of the most under-served communities in the nation. The Bronx Zoo is the subject of THE ZOO, a docu-series aired world-wide on Animal Planet. Members of the media should contact mpulsinelli@wcs.org (718-220-5182) or mdixon@wcs.org (347-840-1242) for more information or with questions.

Founded in 1992, Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and rescue operation protecting survivors of the exotic animal trade. The 450-acre refuge, located 7 miles south of Eureka Springs, is also an ethical animal tourism destination and a “Top Ten” family friendly attraction in Northwest Arkansas. The organization does not buy, sell, trade, loan out or breed their animals, and they do not offer cub petting or harmful pay-for-play opportunities. They are accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries, a member of the American Association of Zoo Keepers and licensed by the USDA and Arkansas Game and Fish. Their mission is to provide lifetime refuge for abandoned, abused, and neglected "Big Cats" with emphasis on Tigers, Lions, Leopards, and Cougars.

Humane Society Legislative Fund works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues and support humane candidates for office. Formed in 2004, HSLF is incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code as a separate lobbying affiliate of the Humane Society of the United States. Visit us on the web at hslf.org, read our blog at hslf.org/blog, and follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on at Twitter @HSLegFund.  

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