Baby mountain lion born in Wantage

The Space Farms Zoo in Sussex County has announced its newest addition, a baby mountain lion born on September 20th. It is the first mountain lion born at the zoo in 43 years.

According to the New Jersey Herald, the cub is named Juniper and came into the world weighing one pound and spanning a grand eight inches. Space Farms Zoo (owned by New Jersey Assemblyman Parker Space) has three other mountain lions among its 500 live animals, Renegade, Cheynne, and Chippewa. Chippewa is Juniper’s mother.

Parker Space told the New Jersey Herald that Juniper will live at Space Farms Zoo until May 2020 when a decision will be made on where she will live permanently, possibly at another zoo. They are hopeful that Cheyenne or Chippewa will have additional kittens to help boost the mountain lion population. While the mountain lion (or puma, or cougar) has the largest range of any wild animal in the Americas, they are believed to be extinct in New Jersey and most of the Eastern US. The zoo is on County Road 519 and is open daily through November.

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