Puma captured in Cancun’s urban jungle is liberated in wildlife reserve

CANCUN, Q. Roo — The Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (PROFEPA) has released a young male mountain lion (Puma concolor) in the protected “Biosphere Reserve Sian Ka’an” nature reserve, in an area known as Muyil in the municipality of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Quintana Roo.

PROFEPA announced that the puma was rescued on Saturday 16 April by PROFEPA personnel in the state, after receiving a report of the Fire Department that the puma was spotted in the branches of a tree in the streets of the Colonia Pedregal, a residential area of south Cancun,

Several state and federal agencies carried out the big cat rescue. They managed to immobilize the puma through a tranquilizer, thus ensuring the animal’s capture.

Authorities had been alerted to the presence of a cougar in the colonia Pedregal, 3 kilometers from Lopez Portillo avenue next to the Bacalar elementary school.

The report that the agency provided said the animal next to a dirt road up a sapodilla (zapote) tree, and that according to testimony from neighbors, was in that place for several hours.

Cancun Firefighters unit 925 responded with five elements on board, and biologist Raul Orarte led maneuvers to rescue the cat.

Assisted by Public Security officers, the medical team sedated the animal, and placed it in a wooden box for transport.

A mixture of drugs was prepared to sedate the animal that was on the top of a tree, so it could be captured and moved safely.

After several shots from a tranquilizer gun were made at a distance, the animal escaped, and it took several minutes to find it due to the conditions of darkness in the area, located in the southern part of the city, near the Cancun international airport. But soon, the animal, a young male, was found asleep and prepared for transport.

Sources:

jornada.unam.mx

sipse.com

informador.com.mx

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