Cous Cous the Bored Lion

Somewhere in middle of nowhere California is a private animal park named Cat Haven where a lion named Cous Cous recently killed a woman who was cleaning his enclosure.  The problem here is the word "enclosure".  Big cats do not like being held captive and I am sad whenever I hear a story like this.  It is sad for the woman killed, but also sad for the cat because he was killed as well.  I read that the cat was in a separate cage while the main cage was being cleaned.  Cous Cous was able to use his giant paw to open the door and hit the woman so hard across the head that it broke her neck and killed her.  Cous Cous then played with her body and would not leave it alone so he was shot and killed.

I am so torn on issue of captive animals.  I am a huge animal lover and struggle with the idea of eating meat, but I still do it so I am a hyocrite.  Without places like this for people to see animals there may not be the interest in saving them.  But on the other hand these animals are miserable. I refuse to ever got to a zoo again because of the way the animals are kept in small areas and just pace.  It makes me so sad. 

I have two cats who we used to keep indoors to keep them "safe" as we have been tought.  One them is now institutionalized and is too frightened to go outside now.  The other one was so depressed and bored being inside that after five years we decided to let him go outside.  We have been very lucky that nothing has happened to him, but he is so much happier when he gets to go outside.  Being that it is currently the middle of winter, he has cabin fever.  I play with him every day, but he loves to hunt and kill.  He is a murderer.  Another thing I struggle with.  I liked it better when he would chase thing and get some exercise, but not catch anything.  Now he catches stuff.  Sometimes he eats it and sometimes he just plays with it.  He does not like it when his little friends no longer play with him.

Cous Cous I am sure was just bored and the woman was a toy to him.  Some are now blaming her because she was talking on her cell phone at the time and not paying attention to the cat, but blaming the victim is not going to change anything.  Wild animals kill, they are not domesticated just because they are put in a cage.

RIP Cous Cous and your keeper.