Malnourished and orphaned cougar cub found near Newman Lake recovering in Eatonville

An Eatonville, Washington, animal clinic is treating a 5-month-old orphaned cougar cub found near Spokane earlier this month.

The cub is now in the care of Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, which is treating the furry baby for malnourishment and dehydration, the park announced in a press release Wednesday.

“When the cub arrived, he was in critical condition – extremely underweight, dehydrated, and anemic,” Northwest Trek’s head veterinarian, Dr. Kadie Anderson, said in the release. “He also had ticks and had been recently sprayed by a skunk. It took us 30 hours of administering fluids via an IV catheter to begin rehydrating him.”

Residents noticed the cub and contacted the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, whose officers set up cameras to track the cub. The cub was eventually trapped near Norman Road and Foothills Road west of Newman Lake. It’s unknown how the cub became an orphan, said Staci Lehman, a communications manager for WDFW.

“Moms could die and the cubs will stay with the mom for quite a while. Sometimes you’ll catch mom on camera, but this time, that didn’t happen,” Lehman said. “It’s hard to say what really happened.”

After a few days, the cub was captured and transported across the state for care. As curators and vets gradually build trust, the cub is seeing improvement. He is eating chicken and elk multiple times a day, according to the release.

Once he fully improves, guests will be able to see him along the wildlife park’s “cat loop,” the release said.

If someone does find a seemingly orphaned animal, WDFW urges people to contact experts who can appropriately assess whether the animal is alone. Often, many species will leave their young unattended for long periods while they search for food, the release said.