Naming Contest For Mountain Lion At Scottsdale Refuge Earns $1K

SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Meet Zuma, a Scottsdale wildlife sanctuary's newest family member.

Zuma is a mountain lion that was brought to the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center after he was found starving and dehydrated on a roadside in roadside in the San Jacinto Mountains, according to the refuge. California Fish and Wildlife chose to send him to Scottsdale once he had been nursed back to health.

"He probably never assumed he'd survive that first day - let alone find himself living a comfortable life with two other mountain lions his age," the conservation center wrote in a blog post, referring to Zuma's roommates Felix and Zia.

After 100 donors voted, the young mountain lion was named Zuma.

The "Name the Lion Contest" required a $5 donation and over 200 votes were cast. According to wildlife refuge spokesperson Jim Mitchell, the contest collected over $1,000 for Zuma's continued care.

"We are ecstatic that the community got involved in our contest to name Zuma,” Mitchell told Arizona's Family in an interview. “Zuma was one of four mountain lions rescued last fall, and we are so happy that he finally has a name. Thank you to everyone who participated in our contest and helped us raise funds to aid in our mission to provide Zuma the best life.”

The conservation center depends on donations and grants to maintain its operations. Established in 1994, the refuge rescues and rehabilitates wildlife that has been injured, displaced, and orphaned. Once rehabilitated, they are returned to the wild. Sanctuary is provided to animals that cannot be released back to the wild.