By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Tommie and Tanner are getting a bigger home. Brit Spaugh Zoo staff in Great Bend are nearing completion of a larger exhibit for the two cougars. Zoo Curator Ashley Burdick said the space will more than triple from 512 square feet to nearly 1,800 square feet.
"We added in a concrete barrier to set the new exhibit on," she said. "We've just been doing all the construction in-house on it. We added in some new benches for them, and brought in some rocks for them to play on. One of our cougars likes to pace a little bit, so we're hoping the extra space will help him feel a little more comfortable."
The two cougars are eight and nine years old and can live up to 15-20 years old in captivity. Both have been pacers in the past. The additional space will be especially beneficial to Tanner, who is blind.
"A couple of years ago, we added an upper platform for Tommie, the one that can see normally," Burdick said. "That helped him with his pacing a little bit, but the other one still does a little bit of pacing, especially in the afternoons."
The expansion costs approximately $25,000 but will be used year-round. Unlike their bear counterparts, Burdick said the cougars are outside most days and even enjoy the cold and snow.