Research overview: welfare and husbandry of captive pumas and rescued cougars

Pumas, also called cougars or mountain lions, are commonly held in zoos and frequently appear among rescued cats in sanctuaries, often arriving from the pet trade or roadside attractions. This overview surveys their captive welfare: requirements for climbing structures, elevation and complex terrain reflecting their athletic, wide-ranging ecology; common health legacies of poor backgrounds such as metabolic bone disease from improper diets, declawing and obesity; and behavioural rehabilitation of stereotypies and abnormal human-directed behaviour. It examines enrichment, enclosure design and dietary correction for rescued animals, and the management of solitary individuals. It discusses the welfare burden created by the exotic-pet trade in this species. The synthesis frames puma welfare as combining species-appropriate vertical, complex environments with the rehabilitation needs of animals from compromised origins.