Cougar Mountain Zoo

About Cougar Mountain Zoo

Cougar Mountain Zoo is an 11-acre nonprofit zoological park in Issaquah, Washington, on the north slope of Cougar Mountain, about 15 miles east of Seattle and near the border of the Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park. It is not accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The zoo was founded in 1972 by Peter and Marcie Rittler, who operated it admission-free for its first 15 years before donating it in 1990 to the Zoological Society of Washington, which took over its management and fundraising. As of 2009, Peter Rittler continued to be involved in the zoo's management.

The zoo's stated focus is on endangered species and conservation through education, with a collection built around lemurs from Madagascar, Bengal tigers, and endangered birds from around the world. Many of the zoo's animals were born or raised on-site, and the zoo describes this as giving them an unusually comfortable relationship with human visitors. Hours are listed as 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

History

Peter and Marcie Rittler founded Cougar Mountain Zoo in 1972 and ran it without an admission charge for its first 15 years. In 1990, they donated the zoo to the Zoological Society of Washington, which assumed responsibility for its management and fundraising going forward. On June 16, 2007, the zoo acquired two male Bengal tiger cubs, a royal white and a golden, born eight weeks apart at a Florida tiger preserve, and added two more cubs in 2009. In 2011, a photograph of one of the zoo's tigers, weighing 370 pounds, holding its paw up to a glass wall to meet a child's hand was picked up by news services after appearing to show the animal playing patty-cake with the visitor. In 2016, the zoo acquired a pack of four male gray wolves.

Exhibits and habitats

The zoo's exhibits concentrate on endangered species, including tigers, lemurs, wolves, reindeer, cranes, wallabies, macaws, and cougars. A glass-walled enclosure called the "Tiger Tunnel" lets visitors view the zoo's Bengal tigers at close range. Beyond the animal habitats, the zoo includes a Bronze Collection of bronze animal sculptures displayed throughout the grounds, a Wildlife Tracks Library for identifying animals by their tracks, and a Wildlife Museum holding specimens and teaching materials donated by private individuals. The Magnani Nature Gallery, an art gallery on zoo property established in 1989, features nature art in various forms, including pieces for purchase; it operates as a for-profit venture but contributes annually to the zoo's education programs.

Animal highlights

At least 17 species are listed on the zoo's website. Big cats and canids include the cougar, lion, and gray wolf. The zoo's lemur collection includes the black-and-white ruffed lemur and ring-tailed lemur, both native to Madagascar. Its bird collection is built around macaws, including the blue-and-gold, green-winged, hyacinth, military, and scarlet macaw, plus cranes such as the sarus crane, grey crowned crane, and West African crowned crane. Other listed species include the alpaca, emu, Siberian reindeer, and swamp wallaby.

Conservation and programs

Cougar Mountain Zoo runs lectures, presentations, and demonstrations throughout the day, with docents on-site to answer visitor questions. A fee-based membership program called "The Living Classroom" is offered to preschool children and school groups from kindergarten through 12th grade to teach them about wildlife, and the zoo also runs outreach programs to churches and senior citizen groups.

Planning your visit

As listed on the zoo's website, Cougar Mountain Zoo is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The zoo's stated mission emphasizes personal attention to visitors, and its Master Plan describes ten planned "Worlds" of specialization organized around endangered species groups, though details of ticket pricing, parking, and accessibility were not available in the materials reviewed here. Visitors should confirm current hours and any admission details on the zoo's official website before planning a trip.