Cougar Mountain Zoo offers sanctuary for endangered animals

You would think a place called Cougar Mountain Zoo would have cougars. You would not be wrong. However, during our visit the critters kept their distance. In all fairness it was a bit of a warm day by Washington state standards. The cougars were lounging in the shade the best they could.

Cougars – aka mountain lions or pumas – roam the Americas, from southern Canada southward to Argentina. They typically prefer steep, rocky areas, but can adapt to different environments. They are a threatened species. Part of it has to do with humans moving into their habitat. We’ve had sightings in Omaha, including one that was pout down by the Omaha police about six blocks from our house.

Cougar Mountain Zoo was established in 1972 by Peter and Marcie Rittler. Today, the zoo’s mission includes educating people to better understand and appreciate wildlife, as well as the role of humanity in nature.

While the cougars were relaxing at the Issaquah zoo, a lot more animals were enjoying the weather. The zoo has about a half dozen Macaw birds. The endangered birds have a great set-up, away from the other animals. They were beautiful to view. Each bird was animated.

Macaws have become endangered as humans move farther into their natural territory in South America, including the Amazonian rainforest. The birds, which can live to 60 years old, are intelligent and have been captured to serve as exotic pets. Cougar Mountain Zoo provides a sanctuary for the birds.

Our daughter Mallory and I bought some food pellets at the zoo’s entrance. She had a great time feeding some of the alpacas. While not a threatened species, the zoo is home to a small herd. They are pretty animals and fun to watch. I learned that an alpaca is the smallest of the Camelid family. Did you know that? I’m sure you did.

The Australian wallaby population is decreasing because the creature is viewed by farmers as a threat to their crops. How could someone hate such a cute-looking creature?

Lisa’s favorite cat – the tiger – is represented well at the zoo. We did our best to get a good view of him, but the tiger was kicking back away from humans. Tigers are considered critically endangered.

Cougar Mountain Zoo has a nice wolf enclosure. The canines were not active during our visit. They were soaking in the sunshine. They would move from one spot to another to lay for a while. The wolves are actually going to get a new home. The zoo is building a new wolf exhibit area, along with one for lemurs.

The zoo is home to one of the largest collections of animal bronzed statues in the world. Visitors actually may mistake some of the statues for real animals. LOL. I love statues, and I was not disappointed with the ones located in the Magic Forest.

Cougar Mountain Zoo is in a beautiful location in Issaquah. The zoo offers visitors an impressive view of the nearby lake and forest.

Mallory and I agreed that the zoo could charge a lower admission fee. With a $12.50 admission per adult and $2.50 for a small container of feed, we thought the zoo could charge $9-10 for admission and maybe $5 for the feed, since the feed would be an optional purchase. However, we saw a lot of people buying the containers.

Regardless of the price, we thought Cougar Mountain Zoo was a great way to get up close to the animals. The zoo may be small in size, but it provides a great experience.

For more information on the zoo, please visit www.cougarmountainzoo.org.