Aspen is a male cougar who arrived at the sanctuary in 2016. He and his brother Blaze were estimated to be about 5 months old when they were captured in Washington by authorities.
Tragically, their mother was apparently killed by a Washington property owner on January 4th after she attacked a goat. Since they could not be rehabbed and released, we agreed to accept them here at the sanctuary.
Aspen had an intake exam and was neutered. He weighed approximately 25 pounds, 10 pounds less than his big brother Blaze. He also had suffered from frostbite on his ears while trying to survive on his own in the wild.
Read the unique way Aspen got his name
Later that year, we introduced Aspen and Blaze to the two other orphaned cougar cubs we’d taken in. They formed their own family unit also, just like “The 5 Wild” group of orphans we have here, too. Now, we refer to Aspen, Blaze, Snow and Storm as “The 4 Wild.”
Aspen As An Adult
Blaze is the boldest and most dominant of the group. He’ll approach to check out what caretakers are up to. He loves scents, toys, and ripping up grass to toss about. Yet brother Aspen is the least dominant. He enjoys hanging out on the high platform in their habitat with Snow, the only girl of the group.
Seeing them playfully chasing each other, enjoying toys and enrichment is such a positive sign. They’re finally feeling this is home and they’re safe. We’ve seen them grow into strong, healthy, confident cougars – just as their mothers would have wanted.
How You Can Help
Rescuing orphaned wild cats is such an expensive commitment since it means 20+ years of care. That’s why our sponsorship program is so important. It helps provide the best life possible for those we’re able to rescue.
Thank you for considering becoming Aspen’s sponsor parent, or even giving a one time donation toward his care. There are easy buttons at the top of this page you can click to help. It makes such a difference for him!
