When we invaded the animal kingdom, the animals retired deeper into the woods. It’s only natural that if we retire, they’ll come back to take back their kingdom. Especially if their current one is severely affected by drought, says Fox News.
The foothills around Santiago, where cougars reign, are such affected environments and, according to scientists, it is the reason for the appearance of the third cougar in the Chilean capital. Together with the lockdown imposed by the authorities in the attempt to contain the spread of the coronavirus. On Tuesday, Chile had 5,116 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 43 deaths.
The drought of its environment and the human absence on the streets of Santiago made cougar number three to seek shelter in a home. The Chilean National Zoo stated on a post on Facebook on Monday that they have safely captured the cougar and that they will release it in the wilderness after a medical check.
Cougars double the Chileans’ fear of walking on the streets
“The cougar is in good condition and is moved to our Rehabilitation Center for a medical assessment and subsequent release,” said the post.
The cougar also goes by the names of a puma, mountain lion, red tiger, and catamount. After the jaguar, the cougar is the second-heaviest Felinae in the Western Hemisphere. It is both nocturnal and crepuscular ambush predator. So, imagine getting ambushed in your own home by a 90 cm tall cat. Tall at the shoulders, so this height doesn’t include the neck and the head of the cougar.
Last week another cougar was captured in Santiago. The Chilean capital is home for over 6 million people. After Vladimir Putin’s menace towards his people that he will put lions on the streets to force people to stay isolated in their homes, the cougars wondering on the streets of Santiago can be seen as another reason for people to stay in the safety of their homes. So, maybe the fear of cougars isn’t such a bad thing. If only they wouldn’t enter homes!
