Nature of Wildworks Newsletters

A Pirate's Life

November 2003

The Nature of Wildworks was established in 1995 as a non-profit wildlife care and education center in Topanga, California dedicated to the lifelong quality care of non-releasable wild animals. Our 501©3 organization came into being when a native wildlife presentation at The Los Angeles Zoo (Wild in the City) was suddenly cancelled and the show animals had to be relocated. As an employee of the zoo, I had worked with these animals for many years, raising some of them from infancy and training them to participate in public programs. I realized that their relocation would be difficult. Hand raised wild animals normally bond to the people who raise them and are often unable to be housed with other animals or to adjust to exhibit situations where contact with humans is often discouraged. I was very concerned about the future of these individuals so I decided then to work toward acquiring the animals and to continue the work that we did at the zoo utilizing them for educational outreach programs.

California has strict wildlife permit requirements and although I had the necessary experience I was faced with a long waiting period. Fortunately, I was also a part-time instructor at The Moorpark College Teaching Zoo in Moorpark, CA and I was able to transfer the animals from the L.A. Zoo to Moorpark where the students cared for them and worked with them while I pursued their legal relocation.It was a long two years but in 1995 "Phoenix", the male mountain lion, moved into my backyard.!! Shortly thereafter the other show animals arrived and many more have come to make Wildworks their home over the years. We currently house a wide variety of raptors, mammals and reptiles native to California, as well as, exotic animals such as servals, kinkajous, bat-eared and fennec foxes. These animals participate in on-going educational outreach programs for schools, wilderness parks, and community and private functions to teach people about wildlife, the wilderness, animal care and behavior and environmental issues. Wildworks is my dream come true and I've always considered it a wonderful privilege to be a wild animal caretaker and educator. I was lucky to acquire the zoo animals that came to Wildworks as healthy individuals. Also, our six-year-old female cougar "Envy" was confiscated at 6 months as an illegal pet. Though she was in perfect health, her owner simply lacked the proper permits to house her. We also recently acquired three baby animals from credible breeders to train as wildlife ambassadors -A bobcat named "Thunder Kitty", a fennec fox "Foxy" and two coyote pups "Trickster" and "Mesa". They arrived at Wildworks as workable, healthy critters. Unfortunately, that isn't always the case. Not all pet owners are responsible, not all animal care centers really care and animal abuse and neglect can happen anywhere. Wildworks has received a serval with broken limbs caused by rickets from being fed an improper diet and several cats crippled from being declawed. But in all my years of experience I've never had an animal come into my care in such atrocious condition as a young cougar we call Pirate. Pirate arrived at Wildworks in September at the age of 8 months, weighing in at only 20 pounds. His spine and hipbones were protruding and the pads on all four feet were raw and bleeding. His fur was rough and patchy, the tip of his tail was missing and his right ear was notched, probably from a fight. But to add insult to injury, the worst of his problems was his eyes. The right eye was ten times its normal size and the left eye had been injured. It was obvious that Pirate couldn't see very well and the pain and blurred vision made him suspicious and frightened. The following day he was examined by our veterinarian and an animal ophthalmologist was called in. Pirate was diagnosed with severe glaucoma in his right eye, a condition normally found in older animals, causing pain much like a migraine headache. His eye was so enlarged that it was removed the same day. When he awoke from anesthesia he was immediately feeling better, purring and meowing like a normal kitten. We watched Pirate closely and after a week in the house his paws healed and he started gaining weight. We took him back for a recheck and upon further examination of his left eye it was confirmed that his retina was detached and there was mild glaucoma. We are able to treat the eye with drops to keep the pressure at bay but unfortunately his vision will never be restored. Pirate is completely blind. What kind of life is in store for a blind mountain lion? Because all cats rely so heavily on their vision, at first I was concerned about his quality of life. But after working with him and observing his behavior for two months now I think he'll be just fine. Not unlike a blind person, his other senses have taken over. I'm amazed at how well he gets along. He lives outdoors in a big enclosure and he's learned the boundaries of his cage, location of food and water, toys and humans. His feet step lightly and he points his nose upward when he walks to smell what's ahead. He calls to us and the other mountain lions when he hears our voices. The toy that seems to work best for him is paper towel rolls that he can easily bat and grab again with his claws. He most definitely recognizes individuals by voice, scent and even the sound of different footsteps. But this is what I find to be most interesting. When I sit down in his enclosure he walks over to me purring and then immediately locates the back of my neck. He doesn't bite it (yet!) but instinct definitely tells him to go there. Amazing!

Pirate is already going to programs and he's a great working animal. We use operant conditioning and work him for treats and because he's unable to see and is not stimulated by movement he is very safe to handle in public.There are so many lessons the public can learn from Pirate!! Even though cougars exist here in the wild in southern California most people have never seen one. I often receive calls from people who are mistaking bobcats for lions. Here in the Santa Monica Mountains a lack of wildlife corridors is severely limiting cougar populations. The National Park Service has been studying pumas in this area for a few years now and only three have been located and radio-collared. Our captive Wildworks lions have been used to test scent lure preferences and have helped with this tracking project. Grizzlies and wolves have long since disappeared and as the top predator in these mountains it is extremely important that the cougar continues to survive here.At Wildworks we never declaw our cats but some were declawed prior to their arrival. Because it is always painful and can often cause permanent problems repair surgery has recently been developed by Dr Jennifer Conrad and all of our declawed cats are on the waiting list for this procedure. It is simple to teach any cat to not use its claws and Pirate can be used to show people how it's done. As a disabled individual who works hard and purrs constantly Pirate can teach children and adults that disabilities don't have to be limiting. Animals don't laugh at each other and point a finger like we humans often do. They don't even seem to recognize their disability as a problem or limitation. Blind mountain lions are better listeners. I'm sure we can all learn that lesson! And maybe the most important thing that Pirate can teach people is how to care. Pirate came from out of state and his history is unclear. I know he was transported here by an individual who bought him but then couldn't legally house him in CA. I've been a professional in the animal field for over twenty years and the facilities and individuals that I would normally come in contact with are responsible and credible. Obviously, Pirate came from a different kind of place.

Fortunately, our little cougar is here at Wildworks now and he'll receive all the care he requires for the rest of his life. If ever an animal needed and deserved lifelong quality care, it's Pirate.