Visitors to the Oregon Zoo may spot two new faces this week: Link and Nova, orphaned cougar cubs rescued in Washington last November, have begun exploring their outdoor habitat.
The young cougars have been exploring their outdoor habitat for a few weeks, but it remained closed to visitors until Sunday. Now that the cubs are more comfortable, zoo staff and volunteers are gradually introducing small groups of guests to view them from the public area.
Zoo staff say cougars usually stay with their moms for at least a year in the wild, so these cubs wouldn’t have survived on their own.
The zoo said the cubs are part of its mission to care for orphaned wildlife and raise awareness for conservation.