POINCIANA – A pregnant captive cougar named Sierra is back in captivity, safe and sound, after a 24-hour walkabout in the Poinciana area of Osceola County. She returned Sunday around dusk to the location where she escaped a day earlier.
Monday morning, the handlers for Jungle Adventures, the permitted owner of the cat, took Sierra to her veterinarian for an examination and assistance with delivery. (Editor’s Note: the image at right is a generic cougar shot from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service).
The captive-born, -bred and -raised cougar escaped from her handlers Saturday afternoon while they were trying to put her in a transport cage so they could take her to a veterinarian. She slipped out of the two leashes handlers were leading her with and dashed off into some thick woods. Despite search efforts by the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Sierra remained missing until reappearing on her own Sunday.
“The people handling Sierra set out bait in a cage to try to catch her Saturday night or early Sunday morning, but the cougar was able to take the bait without being caught,” said FWC Lt. Rick Brown. “However, as they were re-baiting the trap early Sunday evening, Sierra stepped out of the woods and looked at them as if to say, ‘Where have you been?'”
They called out to her, and she came right over without further ado. Sierra has no claws on her front paws and was wearing a collar when she took off.
The cougar actually belongs to Jungle Adventures in Christmas but had spent Friday night at the Poinciana home of Lynne Hawkesworth in preparation for her trip to the vet on Saturday. Hawkesworth, 54, lives at 4983 Brook Rd., Kissimmee.
Unfortunately, Hawkesworth does not have a permit to possess a cougar, but does have experience working with them.
Sierra had had an unsuccessful pregnancy in the past, in which she lost her kittens, and the owners were hoping to avoid similar problems by having the vet perform a C-section on the cat.
When she returned Sunday, the cougar was in labor, according to Brown. Hawkesworth is allowed to keep Sierra until she gives birth, and then has to move her and her kitten or kittens back to Jungle Adventures immediately.
“She has a cage that is structurally suitable to keep the cat in for this temporary purpose, but she does not have proper facilities to maintain the cougar at her house,” Brown said.
Brown cited Hawkesworth for possessing the cougar without a permit and gave her a warning for the escape. Both are second-degree misdemeanors.
