Beloved Male Cougar Dies at Elmwood Park Zoo

Thor, a male cougar who lived at the Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown, died Wednesday morning at the age of 17 after a decline in health, according to a media release from the zoo.

Thor was born in captivity and arrived at the zoo in 2003, after residing in the Catoctin Wildlife Preserve in Catoctin, Maryland. At Elmwood he sometimes experiences seizures and was the victim of a degenerative spinal disease, which affected his ability to move.

While Thor had benefitted from treatment, he quickly declined to the point where the zoo’s veterinary staff euthanized him Wednesday.

Staff and guests had an affection for the large cat, who lived in his exhibit with a female cougar named Aurora. They enjoyed lounging in the sun or “stalking” parts of their exhibit, to the delight of guests.

"Any time one of our animals passes away, it's sad for the staff, our members, and our guests,” said Elmwood Park Zoo Executive Director Al Zone, in the release. “Thor was a special part of our Zoo and he will be greatly missed."

The zoo has no plans in the near future to add another cougar to their current exhibit space, but they are developing a significant  project that will renovate each of the Zoo's large cat exhibits.