PHILADELPHIA, Pa (WPHL) — The Philadelphia Zoo just unveiled a couple of adorable new additions.
A set of rescued puma cub siblings made their public debut at the zoo, this morning.
According to Zoo officials, the siblings were rescued from Kalama, Washington in July after Washington officials were notified of a farmer who legally killed a Puma who was threatening his property. After investigating, officials found a den with puma cubs inside.
Maggie Morse, Curator of Carnivores and Ungulates, said, “Losing their mother at such a young age would’ve meant without intervention they likely would not have survived.”
When it came to searching for a facility that not only had the space, but also the expertise to take care of these animals, the Philadelphia Zoo was the perfect choice.
The siblings are named Elbroch and Olympia, after Mark Elbroch who is the leading puma researcher for Panthera, and Olympia is named after the state capital of Washington, where the cubs were rescued.
“These animals will serve as ambassadors to educate our guests on the importance of apex predators and the challenges that revolve around humans and our relationships with predators in the wild.”, said Zoo officials.
The cubs are now available for the public to see in the big cat falls section of the zoo.
This weekend, the Philadelphia Zoo will be hosting a Big Cat Weekend event where guests will be able to experience a variety of activities including special cat feedings, and tons of educational activities for all ages. Big Cat Weekend activities are included with the price of a visit to the Philadelphia Zoo.
