Behind the Scenes at Hueston Woods - Cougie the Cougar

If you've been to the Hueston Woods Nature Center, you've no doubt seen the 200 pound mountain lion, "Cougie the Cougar." Naturalist Chad Smith shares some great info about Cougie, explains his diet, and even tells a story of a time he had to go INTO the cage with Cougie to administer a medical treatment!

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• cougie
• cougar
• chad
• smith
• naturalist
• nature
• hueston
• woods
• ohio
• state
• park
• oxford
• miami
• mountain
• lion
• carnivore
• diet
• cat
• big

[nixichixi85]

i was there around the same time this video was uploaded. the cougar looked poorly taken care of. he was very dirty,had very little space to exercise,was overweight, and his cage was not kept up very well. i love the park. but it was very sad for me to see him in this condition.

[OhioStateParks]

@nixichixi85 Thanks for your feedback about Cougie the Cougar. Cougie is 16 years old and was brought to Hueston Woods many years ago. Cougie was declawed by his previous owner. Hueston Woods State Park has State and Federal permits for this mountain lion and their care for him far exceeds the standards set by those permits. Cougie's space goes beyond the public viewing area with an 80-foot run that extends to an area of natural grass. His cage is swept and hosed daily...

[OhioStateParks]

@nixichixi85 .. and his litter is spot cleaned daily. The litter is changed completely each month. With regards to his weight, Cougie's diet is changed seasonally where he is bulked up in the winter and thinned out in the summer. Additionally, to monitor his health, a local veterinarian gives him an annual checkup and is on call to respond to any medical issues.

[nixichixi85]

@nixichixi85 thank you for responding to my concern. i was not aware of his extended excercise space.