As always, we preferred these wild animals to be in their natural environment.
Unfortunately, if they are too accustomed to humans, they can no longer survive on their own in the wild. This is why a couple, Mariya and Aleksandr Dmitriev, adopted and saved this 40 kilo puma, which they named Messi.
Messi is not part of this pitiful fad of buying a feline as a pet.
The two Russian partners saw the animal for the first time at the Saransk Zoo in Penza when he was only eight months old and decided to come to his aid and save him.
“We went to the zoo and started negotiations to buy it,” said Mariya, 28.
“We were greatly surprised when they accepted our offer. «
Caring for and adopting this animal has been a challenge in many ways. Besides being a wild animal, he needed urgent medical attention.
“He was very weak and required a lot of attention,” said Mariya. Although the couple managed to keep him small, he is currently only two-thirds the size of an average puma.
Like all pets, they need plenty of exercise. That is why his masters bought a special harness for going for walks.
“He’s like a dog. We started to take him for a walk, step by step. However, unlike dog training, training this adorable giant wasn’t that simple. They tried to get in touch with a wild animal breeder, but was unsuccessful. Finally, they found a dog training school that agreed to help them. He now responds to about ten different instructions.
However, some animal and environmental rights activists have objections to keeping this exotic animal in their homes and believe the Puma belongs to a wildlife preserve or sanctuary. Others point to the danger of living with wild animals. But the Dimitrievs believe he would not survive alongside other animals, as he has never lived alone in the wild. “Of course it’s quite dangerous to have such a big cat in the house, but Messi is a special animal. «
Here is the puma Messi as he plays with his favorite toys.
This is how you wash a puma.
