While enjoying a few days off work, we took the opportunity to visit our local Desert Museum. The weather was ideal, and the animals were more active than I’ve experienced in quite some time.
Cruz is their resident mountain lion, and he is a beauty!
Rescued in 2013 in San Jose, CA, he was unsuitable for reintroduction into the wild. He was discovered as a cub in the back yard of a residential area and nursed back to health. The Desert Museum was contacted after they expressed interest in the cub and adopted him into their family. Two current and aging sibling mountain lions were retired to private dwellings so their physical needs could be more easily met.
The Desert Museum traditionally adopts orphaned mountain lions which have not been suitable for release into the wild. The mountain lion has been an iconic symbol of the Desert Museum for many years and in the past the Museum’s male mountain lions have always been named George L. Mountainlion.
Well, I needed to hear the story behind this name, and I discovered on the website archives the story behind the name.
It was February 22, 1953, and the Desert Museum was a mere six months old when Bill Carr invited my husband Merv, and me to accompany him to the Tucson Airport to pick up a distinguished arrival of the Museum’s new male mountain lion.
…
It was George Washington’s birthday when the lion arrived. He became George (for the holiday). Bill added the initial L. for Leo the Lion, and combined two words, mountain and lion, for a surname. Thus George L. Mountainlion came to the Desert Museum. George became a weekly columnist (with a little help) for the Arizona Daily Star and the Museum’s icon for all time. Over the Museum’s 65 year history, several other Georges followed the first. We have loved them all.
— Peggy Larson, November, 2016
I found this mention regarding the naming of Cruz:
“The Museum will continue to embrace this tradition using the iconic image and name, however, the reigning George L. has retired and this cub needs a name. So, the decision was made to invite the community to help the Museum name the new cub…”
—Executive Director, Craig Ivanyi.
To learn more about Cruz visit the Desert Museum website here.
peace of life today 
This post will have to be one of my favorites! You got wonderful poses and such great close-ups. Now I want to make a trip back to the Desert Museum.
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Thank you! I think the weather right now is just about perfect!
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Cruz is one beautiful animal and enjoyed hearing about the history of the George name
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Thank you! Yes, the name story made me smile!
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🙂
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Wow Lisa they are very large cats
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Yes he is, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him walking around before!
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A beautiful animal indeed!
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Thank you so much!
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Beautiful photos and a wonderful place!
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Thank you, Nora!
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Beautiful images Lisa and so lovely to see sweet Cruz being so well cared for 🧡
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Thank you! …and I agree! 😊
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Oh, he is a handsome fellow, absolutely beautiful! I’m so glad he’s been rescued and nursed back to health 🙂
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Thank you, Sarah! I think all of the animals there are rescue animals.
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You really captured their special beauty, Lisa!
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Thank you so much!
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Fabulous!! 😁
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Thank you, Jeff!
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Welcome, Lisa!
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Wow!! The first photo says it all. Look at the eyes, I’ve a story to tell. Beautiful images and a lovely post Lisa.
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Thank you, Anita! I love his face looking up at me!
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Great photos and place to visit.
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Thank you, Ritva!
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