Minneapolis cougar memorialized in taxidermy: When and where to see it

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A full circle moment for a cougar that left a lasting impression on Minneapolis' Lowry Hill neighborhood in 2023. 

Its rare presence was captured on several ring cameras before it met an unfortunate fate on Interstate 394.

Cougar to be on display in Kenwood neighborhood

Local perspective:

You may remember this cougar, it made headlines for strolling through the Lowry Hill neighborhood. Shortly after the sighting, it was hit by a vehicle on I-394. The community raised money to have it taxidermied in Grand Rapids.

"When I received the [mountain] lion, it was frozen and whole. And so because it was such a large animal, it took a while for that to thaw and then I had to skin it," said taxidermist Meadow Kouffeld.  

Preparing the cougar

The infamous Minneapolis cougar has been taxidermied.  (FOX 9)

What it took:

Kouffeld has been working hard to have the big cat be ready by the end of April, and she had to get creative about it. 

"This is actually that [mountain] lion’s skull. A lot of people think this is what is underneath the skin. But the reality is, it’s a foam sculpture," said Kouffeld.

Putting the cougar together 

What the experts say:

To get the mountain lion in this shape took lots of work. It wasn’t something that took a day or week. 

"I actually spent 24 hours the weekend I mounted the lion just working on the lion. From shaving the forum and prepping it," said Kouffeld. 

Then the hard part, finding eyes for it. Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine made it difficult to get ones that match the cougar. 

"A lot of our really good glass and Pollyeyes come from that region of the world, so they’ve become increasingly difficult to get," said Kouffeld.

The taxidermist adds, there’s only been three cougars killed on the roadway since 2008. So this is something rare. 

What's next

Timeline:

The Lowry Hill cougar will be unveiled at the Kenwood Rec Center on April 26.