Community raises thousands to preserve Minneapolis cougar
Cam Winton will never forget the once-in-a-lifetime sighting: A cougar, caught on neighbors' cameras, prowling Minneapolis' Lowry Hill neighborhood in December 2023.
"It was a really exciting moment," said Winton. "It was a mountain lion right there in the city."
The 2-year-old male cougar's 500-plus-mile journey from northwest Nebraska ended not long after, when it was hit by a car along Interstate 394.
"We wanted to put a happier ending on the story," said Winton.
So Winton brainstormed an idea: Preserve the cat for generations. Through email and word of mouth, the community fundraised to pay for taxidermy for the cougar.
With the help of Minneapolis Parks and Recreation, $11,700 was raised, one-third of which came straight from the community, Winton said.
It took Grand Rapids taxidermist Meadow Kouffeld between 50 to 60 hours to complete the work. Foam, clay, metal rod and wood were used on the inside, with plenty of measuring and sculpting.
On the base: A Minnesota and Nebraska landscape, along with the number 530, to represent the cougar's miles traveled during his journey to Minnesota.
"To get it right and to have it have a certain feeling, and to tell a story, is particularly important in this piece, because it is a community-owned piece," said Kouffeld.
The cougar will make its public debut at the Kenwood Community Center on April 26.
After a few weeks, the cougar will be permanently displayed at the Carl Kroening Nature Center in north Minneapolis.
"The hope that we all have is that for generations, kids will be able to go to the park board's nature center, up in north Minneapolis and see this creature," said Winton.
