Puma Rescued From A Contact-Type Zoo Can't Be Released Into The Wild, Lives As A Spoiled House Cat [View all]

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I'm not sure how I feel about this, but he does seem happy. I certainly hope he's one-of-a-kind. He is magnificent, though.
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By​ Li

Mariya and Aleksandr Dmitriev share a one-bedroom apartment with one of the biggest names in soccer – Messi. No not the star himself, but his namesake – a 90lb puma. The Russian couple first spotted Messi at the Saransk Zoo in Penza when he was just eight-months-old and decided that they had to have him.

Messi was one of three cubs born at the zoo. The other two, Suarez and Neymar, were also named after famous players to celebrate the Russian city hosting four matches of the World Cup. The cub was sold to the Saransk Zoo when he was three months old and suffered from health problems. Enamored with the sickly animal the Dmitriev’s appealed to the zoo and asked if they could buy him.

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Taking on the care of Messi was a challenge in many ways. Beyond being a wild animal, the cat needed extra medical attention and care, “‘he was quite weak and demanded a lot of attention,” said Mariya. Even though the couple has nursed the cub back to health, he is still only two-thirds of the size of the average puma.







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As you can imagine some animal and environmental rights activists have objections to the Dmitrievs keeping an exotic animal in their home and believe Messi belongs on a wildlife reserve or in a sanctuary. While others note the danger of living with wild animal.

But the couple believes that he would not survive alongside other animals as he has never lived alone in the wild. “Of course it’s quite dangerous having such a large cat at home, but Messi is a special animal,” Mariya told the Mirror.





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