Central Florida Zoo visitors have two new cute faces to meet.
Sibling cougar cubs Takoda and Juniper have made their public debut and are now available to see in their zoo habitat.
The brother and sister arrived at the zoo in June after they were found as orphans in South Dakota only a couple weeks old. They were too young to survive on their own in the wild at the time, and were deemed non-releasable. They’ve been growing and receiving care at the zoo since.
Brother Takoda’s name means “friend to everyone,” while his sister Juniper’s name was inspired by the juniper tree, which is native to South Dakota.
The zoo says the pair offer zoo-goers the chance to learn more about western cougars and the dangers faced by wildlife.
Central Florida Zoo earlier this year was under an international spotlight after stepping in to rescue sloths after the defunct Sloth World was found guilty for the deaths of 55 animals. The zoo in April rescued 13 dehydrated and underweight sloths from a warehouse on International Drive that had no running water, no electricity and faulty space heaters that were plugged in with extension cords running from another building, the FWC report said.
The zoo has since lost five of the 13 sloths to poor health as a result of the earlier lack of care. The remaining eight still live at and receive care from the zoo.
Orange County Sheriff’s Office found no crime in its investigation that concluded in August, but Florida then proposed stronger protections for the animals in September.
