CSU is considering bringing two live cougars to campus as mascots, to be housed in an enclosure on main campus.

Below are some reasons why this may be a bad idea to pursue:

-Big cats (which include cougars) are difficult and expensive to maintain and keep - start up money will come from donors but maintenance funds have to come from somewhere, and that will likely be from higher student tuition/fees.

-Even if the cougar enclosure were a humane way to house a wild animal, the university does not have the kind of department--i.e. Veterinary, Zoology--that might be able to support such a proposal. CSU should focus its energy and resources on promoting academics and student resources to help with higher education.

-Wild animals held in captivity typically suffer due to the unnatural quality of living in an enclosed space with no ability to carry out their natural habits. Cougars are carnivorous animals that spend their lives roaming, hunting, camouflaging themselves from, and eventually attacking their food source; they avoid humans and other perceived threats. Placing such animals in an unnatural enclosure hurts the animals’ quality of life.

Please sign below if you are OPPOSED to bringing live cougars to campus: