Brazilian media reported that a nine-year-old student was surprised to find a cougar inside his school restroom. The British newspaper "Metro" mentioned that the student, David Miguel, was extremely terrified. The paper added that David ran from the scene and rushed to tell his father, Rodrigo Almeida, 34, what he saw. The boy told local media, "My heart almost stopped," and his father thought he would find a dog or something else, adding, "The moment I saw an animal that large, I ran back."
Terrifying footage shows the animal growling from a small stall in the Martha Drumond Fonseca municipal school. Brazilian local authorities were called to the scene and were able to shoot a tranquilizer dart at the cougar. The animal was unharmed and was subsequently released back into the wild by the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources.
Veterinarian Marcos Mourão, who participated in the rescue operation, warned against more wildlife entering urban areas due to deforestation. He stated, "We know this is happening due to increased deforestation, large wildfires, and the destruction of natural habitats for these animals... They flee and end up crossing into towns and cities." This cougar is the largest big cat found in the wild on the South American continent, reaching lengths of up to six feet and weighing up to 15 stone.
