by Michael Hone
Leaps from tree to tree in escape bid
SAO PAULO – An endangered cougar appeared at the Arvaré Municipal Campground in Sao Paulo Thursday. Frightened campers called the Fire Department. It took authorities five hours to capture the beast, which leaped from tree to tree in a bid to escape its pursuers at the Costa Azul resort.
Cougar in Arvaré (photo: terra.com.br)
Veterinarians tried to attach a syringe with a sedative to an arrow intending to shoot it at the large cat, but in the end, delivered the drug with the syringe tied to the end of a long pole. Once sedated, the animal was removed from a branch, where it had lost consciousness, by the firefighters of Arvaré. It was then taken to the zoo in Bauru.
The cat will be under observation and is expected to be sent to the Wildlife Research and Medical Center (CEMPAS) at the University of Sao Paulo, Botucatu, and eventually released into native habitat.
Arvaré is an agricultural city of 77,000 (2000 census) located 168 miles from the city of Sao Paulo. It also has a hydroelectric dam, a small university and some tourist attractions.
Read also: More Articles from Brazil Dispatch
Brazilian online news source for this article: terra.com.br
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I can imagine the campers were terrified to see a cougar running around on the camping grounds, but I also think it's great to see that cougars indeed are still living in many parts of Brazil... Sad to see however, that they are now called "invaders" in the places that used to be their own natural habitat, which were invaded by us (humans) in the first place. I have been hiking in Brazilian forests a great deal and, despite stories from locals about encounters, I have never spotted a cougar or a jaguar. It's exiting but also kinda scary to know that they are around and are able kill you...
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