Orphaned mountain lion cubs bolt to freedom in CA wilderness after months of care
.jpeg "Two mountain lions found as malnourished cubs have been released back to the wild, a nonprofit says.")
Two mountain lion cubs found orphaned in California have been released back to the wild after months of care at a nonprofit wildlife rescue.
The cougars were released in San Diego County on Sept. 18 undergoing “rehabilitation designed to limit human interaction and prepare them for life on their own,” the San Diego Humane Society said in a Sept. 29 news release.
“We’re incredibly proud of the work our team and partners have done to give these cubs a second chance,” Autumn Welch, the nonprofit’s wildlife operations manager, said in the release.
When the malnourished cubs were found, the UC Davis California Carnivores Program team worked with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to rescue the pair, the nonprofit said.
The felines were brought to the nonprofit’s Ramona Wildlife Center on March 26.
During their monthslong stay, the cubs received expert veterinary care and learned “essential survival skills, including hunting behaviors and a natural wariness of people,” according to the rescue.
At the time of their release, the cougars both bolted to freedom after rescuers opened the crates’ doors, photos from the nonprofit show.
“Releasing (the cougars) back into their native habitat is the ultimate goal — and a major success story for mountain lion conservation in California,” Welch said.
.jpeg "SDHS_Mountain Lions return to the wild_release__fitted (1).jpeg")
Mountain lions became a protected species in the state in 1990, and in 2020 some Southern and Central California populations were listed as candidate species under the California Endangered Species Act in 2020, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
A comprehensive study by state and university scientists completed in 2024 showed that there were between 3,200 and 4,500 cougars roaming the state, “thousands fewer than previously thought,” the Los Angeles Times reported.
