ST. LOUIS, Mo. — Two new pumas are coming to the Saint Louis Zoo. Russet and Yukon are siblings that were found in the Idaho wilderness after being orphaned as cubs. They spent years living at the Elmwood Park Zoo near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Yukon is a female mountain lion and Russet is a male. WCAU-TV reports that the beloved cougars are coming to Big Cat Country at the Saint Louis Zoo to, “ensure that their comfort and well-being are maintained.”
The cougars were shy after being introduced to the zoo as cubs. They spent their early years in a mostly off-exhibit. Zookeepers don’t want the cats to, “regress into the timid animals we first met.
Moving the cougars to St. Louis means that the Elmwood Park Zoo will be able to add more jaguars.