HOUSTON — It was an exciting morning at the Houston Zoo where two new cougar cubs made their public debut.
Shasta VII, the newest mascot of the University Houston Cougars, and his brother Louie played, explored their new digs and snacked on treats. UH President Renu Khator, Cougar band members and the other Shasta mascot watched with delight.
The 5-month-old cubs came to the Houston Zoo in November after being found alone in Washington State. They were only around four weeks old, underweight and full of parasites. Wildlife experts determined the orphaned cubs probably wouldn't survive in the wild on their own.
During a few months in quarantine behind the scenes, the siblings received medical care from zoo veterinarians as they grew bigger and stronger.
"It's been definitely a journey with these two. When they came in they were very small, a little bit underweight, so our vet clinic did an amazing job nursing them back up," Carnivore keeper Tori Miller said.
As their personalities developed, keepers said Shasta is a little more courageous, curious and adventurous and Louie loves to eat!
"Louie, he's one that's all about his snacks," Miller said.
The brothers are inseparable and the best way to tell them apart now is by the markings on their tails. Shasta has a thicker strip of black on his tail than Louie. Shasta is also a bit leaner while Louie has a pinker nose. These physical traits are expected to change as the cubs get older, keepers say.
Current UH students can visit the zoo for free all year long by reserving an online ticket and showing their student ID at the entry gates.