Man finds baby cougar in Colombia

TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - A Colombian farmer thought he was just doing a good deed when he rescued a kitten on the side of the road. He was shocked to discover he had taken in a female baby cougar instead.

Elber Guzman, from the western province of Tolima, said he spotted the feline on the edge of a highway and thought she had been abandoned.

He brought her home and was greatly surprised when he learned the “kitten” he had kept for days at home was not a cat, but in fact a cougar. He then decided to call Tolima’s Environmental Body, Cortolima.

He said he began to suspect his guest was more than just an ordinary housecat after observing some unusual behavior. At that point, he began comparing her to photos of cougar kittens and then put in a call to Cortolima.

A vet from Cortolima went to Guzman's house to collect the baby and took it in for an assessment.

After undergoing medical examinations, the feline will be released back into the wild when she is able to fend for herself.

South America cougars are a subspecies and found in Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Brazil, Argentina and Chile.

Copyright 2020 KOLD News 13. All rights reserved.