[FEL-L] lost mountain lion

[Chris Godino]

Ellen, dont know if this helps but James and Nicole now run a facility in Fl called Jungle Paradise Zoo. Maybe you can contact them and see if they know anything about the cougar. Here is the website http://www.jungleparadisezoo.com/
Chris Godino Jr.
Reptile Retreat
Boston, Ma.
Mobile# 617-947-0058
Fax# 617-244-2330
Shortfin12 at comcast.net
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: ellen moshenberg 
  To: felines-l at catbox.com 
  Sent: Saturday, January 06, 2007 5:01 AM
  Subject: [FEL-L] lost mountain lion


  I just heard about this list and immediately joined. There have been correspondences between some of the list members and myself over the years. I thank you for your past responses and also thank you for allowing me the possibility to again bring up this painful incident. 

  In July 2001 on a visit to Connecticut I met Jake the mountain lion being kept at  the West Rock Nature Center in New Haven, CT. At that time the city was getting ready to rid itself of the mountain lion by any means necessary. The head of the parks dept. Robert Levine who claimed that for over two years was unable to find suitable alternative facilities for Jake, proudly announced Jake was being shipped to Texas to the wonderful International Wildlife Center in Frost Texas owned by Jim Garretson and Nicole Ammons. With a few emails I was able to easily find several alternative facilities as well as the fact the The Center was not accredited and had several problems. 

  Apparently Jake was once mentioned in a book about captive exotics as a mountain lion that was transferred from a parking lot in VA to be sent to CT. The age and dates fit perfectly. Key people in the New Haven administration were originally Virginians.  

  For the first year it seemed that Jake was doing ok there though USDA reports were less than favorable. Then USDA reports were classified by the federal government and no longer available. During the summer of 2002 the county Frost belonged to closed down the center. Many of the animals went on the road with the owner as a traveling circus of sorts. Some of the tigers were killed in a fire, another was involved in a human killing. Here and there reports on the owners made negative headlines then would disappear and again resurface briefly. Some of the animals were dropped off at a refuge, I think in OK. The existance and whereabouts of Jake seems to have become lost forever. Someone knowlegeable about these matters once told me that it was conceivable that Jake could have been released to the wild. 

  In 2001 Jake a very friendly and affable big cat was estimated to be about 6 or 7 years old. I highly doubt he is still alive. I wrote and wrote extensively and joined lists and wrote some more trying to track him down. Though I "met" some very kind and interesting people, Jake was never found. 

  I am sending this in case someone out there might have come in contact with Jake or his former owners and know or can find out what happened to him.

  Thanks and purrs,
  Ellen


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