Tucson’s rescued mountain lion brothers finally have names

Meet Moonbead and Pretzel.

The brothers were found orphaned on the Washington–Idaho border and were believed to be approximately 5 months old when they were brought to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in April. Their arrival followed the death of Cruz, the Desert Museum’s 13-year-old mountain lion, last November, and Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Marketing and Media Manager Tianna Holder said the young cats are bringing new life to the longtime Desert Museum resident's old habitat.

“Cruz was very meaningful to a lot of people, a lot of people felt connected to Cruz,” she said. “Moonbead and Pretzel are in Cruz's old exhibit, the same spot Cruz lived in, and it's nice to see them there.”

The pair made their public debut earlier this month, after a brief period of acclimation, and are thriving under the care of the Desert Museum staff and veterinarians, Holder said.

The naming rights for the cubs were auctioned off during the Desert Museum’s annual Desert Gala in April, and the winning donor chose to share the special opportunity with the young Tucsonans served by the organization Beads of Courage, a nonprofit organization that helps children and teens coping with serious illnesses.

Kids participating through Beads of Courage submitted dozens of creative name ideas for the cubs, and following a voting period, Moonbead and Pretzel emerged as the two winning names.

“We can really thank the donor for making this such a special moment for both the Desert Museum and Beads of Courage,” Holder said. “Our Desert Gala supports the museum and all the work that we do. I think sometimes people forget that they're not just visiting a zoo, but they're visiting a nonprofit museum that also does a lot of research, conservation, and education work throughout the Sonoran Desert region, and so auctioning off the naming rights supports both the care of our animals, but also broader spectrum work that we do in conservation and in research.

"So it was really meaningful to be able to then bring Beads of Courage in. When our donor did that, that really just took it to the next level, and we were all really excited that this individual had such a creative way to take something that's fun and make it meaningful for the museum, the community, Beads of Courage and all of the families that Beads of Courage serves.”

“This unique opportunity also fostered a special new partnership with another local nonprofit that is doing great work in the community,” Lynnae Wenker, director of philanthropy at the Desert Museum, said in a press release, June 18. “We look forward to watching Moonbead and Pretzel as they learn, play, and grow up here at their new home in the desert.”

You can visit Moonbead and Pretzel in their new home at the Desert Museum during regular hours from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, or at the museum's weekly “Cool Summer Nights” every Saturday from 6 to 10 p.m.

“We've found that in the early morning and evening hours, they are most active for guests who want to come see them,” Holder said.