A puma was rescued Tuesday morning after becoming trapped inside a chicken coop on a farm in the San Isidro del General district of Pérez Zeledón canton, in southern San José Province.

According to the Red Cross, an emergency call was received at daybreak reporting that farm owners had discovered the wild cat trapped inside the property’s chicken coop.

Fire Department units, Red Cross responders, wildlife specialists from the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC), and local police from the Alto San Juan community were dispatched to the scene.

Authorities said the puma entered the chicken coop in search of food, killed several chickens and fed, but was unable to escape on its own and became trapped inside the structure.

Firefighters installed a temporary mesh barrier at the site to prevent the wildcat from entering nearby residential areas. Police also secured surrounding roads as a precaution in case the animal fled into more densely populated neighborhoods.

Officials said the primary objective of the operation was to ensure public safety while minimizing stress and impact on the animal.

Rescue teams were able to open the chicken coop door, allowing the puma to leave the structure and move into a nearby forested area known as Los Chorros, located in the hills close to the community.

Authorities said the animal may have come from Chirripó National Park, located about 20 miles from Perez Zeledon canton.

According to SINAC, the pumas in Costa Rica are a subspecies of the North American cougar, with populations ranging from western Mexico to the northern Andes Mountains of South America.

The species has a uniform brown coat without spots. Adult males weigh an average of about 176 pounds (80 kilograms), while females average about 110 pounds (50 kilograms).

Pumas are carnivores whose diet includes deer, common opossums, agoutis, coatis and other animals. As apex predators, they play a critical role in regulating ecosystems by controlling herbivore populations. Without predators, species such as deer can overpopulate, leading to the degradation of vegetation and biodiversity, authorities said.

Hunting and habitat loss are the primary causes of declining puma populations, according to wildlife officials. In Costa Rica, the species is classified as endangered and is protected under Wildlife Conservation Law No. 7,317, enacted in 1992. The law establishes the legal framework for wildlife conservation, management and sustainable use.

In a separate recent wildlife rescue, SINAC park rangers assisted a baby Florida manatee that became stranded near Tortuguero National Park in Limón Province.

SINAC is the government agency responsible for overseeing Costa Rica’s national parks and protected areas.