ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Jasper, a 4-year-old cougar living at the Como Zoo and Conservatory in St. Paul, is adjusting to life without his eyes.
Jasper first came to Como Zoo in 2018. He was found alone in California after his mother was shot and killed by a hunter. In June 2020, zoo staff started noticing changes in his eyes and eyesight. "We had seen some corneal changes.
We saw some cloudiness in his eyes," Jill Erzar, senior zookeeper Como Zoo and Conservatory, said. Erzar says the changes came on due to a genetic condition that restricted blood flow to his retinas.
The condition made his eyesight progressively worse. Erzar says zoo staff started performing procedures every few months to try and ease the progression of the condition, but it progressed and started impacting his health. "You and I, when we’re outside and it’s windy and there’s dust, we can close our eyes and we can avoid that discomfort.