By Linda Andrade Roderigues, Standard-Times correspondent Discover a mountain lion resting by a waterfall among fallen trees and rocks or perhaps perched high up on a rocky ledge. The Buttonwood Park Zoo s new exhibit has recreated the trappings of the mountain lion s natural habitat. Remarkably fast and with extraordinary vision, mountain lions can jump a vertical distance of up to 15 feet and a horizontal distance of more than 30 feet.
Mountain lions feed on wild hogs, raccoons, rabbits, porcupine and birds.
Sleek and beautiful, the zoo s mountain lions are surrounded by a typical mountainous terrain, such as would exist in the Berkshires. In their natural habitat, the mountain lion is very territorial. They mark the boundaries of their home areas with scraps of earth and leaves. In Massachusetts, cougars were basically eliminated from our ecosystem when much of the state s forest was cleared for farmland. That, in turn reduced the population of cougar prey, such as deer, and led the species to move to other territories.