When Dia was intercepted at the airport, she was taken to Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s rehabilitation center facility
The Denver Zoo’s latest addition came to the zoo with an unusual past: a stowaway aboard a commercial flight.
Dia, a 4-year-old Geoffroy’s cat, was confiscated at the Denver Airport in 2022 when she was found illegally transported on a commercial flight, according to a release from the zoo .
Geoffroy’s cats are native to South America and are similar in size and shape to domestic cats.
When Dia was intercepted at the airport, she was taken to Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s rehabilitation center facility and then sheltered at the zoo while authorities with the agency and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services investigated the case.
“The cat — who was fondly named Dia by her animal care team after her discovery at the Denver International Airport — lived behind the scenes at The Edge during the investigation,” the zoo said.
After the investigation wrapped up, the zoo was told Dia would be allowed to become a permanent resident of the facility. She lives now behind the scenes in the zoo’s feline building and will remain indoors until the zoo moves some habitats around.