Wojciechowski Cougar Crossing opens at Birmingham Zoo with arrival of two bobcats; zoo needs help naming cougar cub
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The Birmingham Zoo is seeking the public’s help in naming the orphaned female cougar cub who is a new resident at the zoo.
Bobcats Baxter and Boomer have made the Wojciechowski Cougar Crossing their new home.
Special to the News
As the Birmingham Zoo begins celebrating its 70th year, Tuesday marked a major milestone with the opening of Wojciechowski Cougar Crossing, the new habitat for cougars and bobcats.
Phyllis and Larry Wojciechowski and Wally Nall, a former Birmingham Zoo chairman of the Birmingham Zoo’s Board of Directors, cut the ribbon on the new Wojciechowski Cougar Crossing. This new major habitat opened to the public on Wednesday, March 19.
“Wojciechowski Cougar Crossing has been in the planning stages for several , and we are excited about officially opening it tomorrow for the public, just in time for Spring Break,” said Chris Pfefferkorn, president and CEO of the Birmingham Zoo.
“As the Birmingham Zoo celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2025, the new Cougar Crossing habitat is a significant new chapter in the zoo’s overall history. We would like to thank Larry and Phyllis Wojciechowski for their generosity to help make this facility a reality. This has truly become a community initiative with hundreds of people, companies, and other organizations joining together to help us be successful,” he said.
“Today we have one orphaned cougar cub from Montana and two new adult bobcats in Wojciechowski Cougar Crossing with one more cougar cub scheduled to arrive in the next few weeks,” said Pfefferkorn. “The cougar and bobcats were orphaned and were in no condition to return to the wild. We are delighted they have a new home with us at the Birmingham Zoo. FedEx has been a great partner providing transportation for the cougar cub and two bobcats.”
“Thank you to all the people who have played a role in this project,” said Pfefferkorn. “As a result of this generosity, zoo visitors for generations to come will enjoy and learn about the cougars and bobcats in the Wojciechowski Cougar Crossing.”
As the cougar and bobcats get used to their new homes, they will have access to separate indoor and outdoor spaces. Their trainings will be visible behind glass to the public. Because of this, they may not be visible at times.
Help Name the Female Cougar Cub
The orphaned female cougar cub arrived from Montana on February 11 with the help of FedEx, and she needs your help in naming her. The female cub is approximately six months old and weighs 28 pounds.
The three name options selected by the Alabama Wilds animal care professionals are:
- Sage (Sagebrush is a common shrub found in Montana, where this cougar was born.)
- Sierra (The Sierra Nevada Mountain Range is a location within a cougar’s native range.)
- Juniper (The Rocky Mountain Juniper is a plant within a cougar’s native range.)
Name voting begins on opening day (March 19) on the Birmingham Zoo’s Facebook and Instagram channels. Each vote is $1, and all proceeds will go to care of the cougar cub. Larger donations are also accepted in the voting process and will help fund specific needs for the cougar cub.
Voting ends on April 1, at 10 p.m. The winning name will be announced the following day.
National efforts to help protect these cats have led an improved conservation status by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The cougar lifespan can range from 8 to 13 years in the wild, and they can live as long as 20 years in captivity. Cougars can jump up to 40 feet horizontally and run 50 mph to catch prey.
Meet the Bobcats: Baxter and Boomer
Two 7-year-old bobcats from the San Diego Humane Society arrived at the Birmingham Zoo on Friday, March 7, and have quickly adjusted to their new home in the Wojciechowski Cougar Crossing habitat. The Birmingham Zoo’s general curator and registrar accompanied the bobcats from LAX to Memphis via FedEx and were brought to Birmingham that evening.
Baxter the Bobcat
Baxter (7) was found as a kitten in early 2018 and brought to a wildlife rehabilitation center in Santa Barbara. It was assumed he was housed in a community member’s house for a while before being brought to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator because he was clearly habituated. Shortly after, he was transferred to the Ramona Wildlife Center where he received a more spacious enclosure to explore and grow. Since he was unable to be released back into the wild, Baxter lived alone until another non-releasable bobcat, Boomer, arrived a few months later. Baxter and Boomer quickly became inseparable!
Boomer the Bobcat
Boomer (7) was dropped off by Humane Law Enforcement at a wildlife rehabilitation center in late 2018 in California. Humane officers had seized Boomer from a person’s house, and rehabilitators hoped he could be returned to the wild. However, Boomer was too habituated to humans to be released and was transferred to the Ramona Wildlife Center to be paired with another habituated bobcat for companionship. Boomer and Baxter quickly became the best companions! The two now live together at the Birmingham Zoo.
Bobcats can run as fast as 30 mph to catch their prey and jump up to 12 feet. Male bobcats can weigh up to 40 pounds. In captivity, bobcats can live up to 25 years, significantly longer than their average wild lifespan of 5-15 years.
