Cougars Put Out Call For Help

Wednesday, May 03, 2006 03:46 AM

Helena, the Cougar who is the focus of a major fundraising event, ( photo courtesy Prince George Cougars, photo taken by Peter Langen)

The Prince George Cougars are hoping you will join them in being part of a team that is trying to save a real life Cougar.

The cat is named Helena. She is a three year old who had been rescued by people in Kelowna after the wildfires of 2003 and sent to a rehab centre in Smithers.

What’s needed is $22 thousand dollars to care for Helena. The money will be used to build a new, permanent enclosure for Helena. Government regulations say the new enclosure must be made of steel posts and a 6 gauge chain link fence. There is a three month window to raise the balance of funds, if the money can’t be found, authorities say Helena will have to be put down.

The Cougars hockey club has "adopted" the cat donating $1500 dollars. The 50/50 Society has put in $500 dollars. When you add those amounts to the money already raised in the community, the total stands at $7640 about one third of the way.

The Northern Lights Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre (NLWRS) where Helena now lives, receives no government funding and has only been a non-profit society for the past 3 years.

All donations are eligible for a tax receipt and can be made at the Cougars office. For more information, click here

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Posted on Wednesday, May 03, 2006 03:46 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: diplomat on May 3 2006 7:58 AM

If the animal is healthy and can be returned to the wild I suggest that very effort be made with the funds raised so far and the co-operation of wildlife officials so that this can be done.

Take her far enough away from people into remote wilderness and let her live her life in freedom, as nature intended.

Posted by: owl on May 3 2006 10:23 AM

As you may know, not all animals can be rehabilitated to go into the wild. The common problem as I understand it, is that humans have been imprinted on them. This was a young cub when taken in from the wild.

In this case, it appears that the MoE will not allow it.

http://209.115.237.105/kelowna/publish/article_1823.php

http://209.115.237.105/kelowna/publish/article_1831.php

Right or wrong, I do not know.

If the cougar cannot be released locally, or anywhere else for that matter, then it would likely be better off with others of its kind, even though captive. It appears that this is the only cougar at Northern Lights and that they are really not set up for it.

I suspect the animal would be better off in a refuge which specializes in such animals and can at least provide it companionship and likely even larger facilities.

It should be considerably less to ship the animal to such a place as the link below. They are set up for this and are funded for such events. I am not sure whether they take animals from Canada, but it would be worth a try.

http://www.wildanimalorphanage.org

http://209.115.237.105/kelowna/publish/article_1823.php

Posted by: Palopu on May 3 2006 8:03 PM

I agree with Owl, give the Couger to some Zoo, or Wildlife Refuge and let them look after it. There is one in Kamloops, however I dont know how good it is.