One of two mountain lion cubs who lost their mother in a car crash has been returned to the wild — a first for mountain lion kittens in California — after being rehabilitated in by a team of veterinarians in San Diego County.
The mountain lion cub, now six months old, first arrived to the San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center on Feb. 11, 2021, and her sister — who was in much worse shape — arrived a few months after, on May 1.
After four months of rehabilitation work, the cub was transported to its original habitat near Tijeras Creek Golf Course in Orange County. A hatch door was opened and, after a quick glance around, the mountain lion leaped her way back home.
The moment was significant for wildlife researchers as mountain lion kittens who lose their mother are usually not able to be released into the wild.
An orphaned mountain lion cub who arrived at the San Diego Humane Society’s Project Wildlife Ramona campus is in better condition after weeks of intensive care by the medical staff.
“We are very excited to have been a part of this pilot program for mountain lion rehab in California, as typically rescued mountain lion kittens are routed for sanctuaries,” said Christine Barton, director of operations and wildlife rehabilitation at San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center. “We hope these few months with us have provided her the extra time needed to fill the void left from losing her mother.”
The center’s Project Wildlife Team partnered with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to rehab the kittens with as little human interaction as possible — only necessary veterinary exams and care — in order to prevent imprinting, when an animal becomes attached to its human caretakers.
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The cubs were orphaned near the Tijeras Creek Golf Course in Orange County after their mother was struck by a car. Neither of the cubs could fend for themselves so the San Diego County Humane Society was called in to help.
The second cub is still recovering from surgery to a fractured arm and will not be released to the wild just yet. It is unclear if her rehabilitation has had the same success that her sister’s has had.
The Ramona Wildlife Center has been operating since 1972 at a facility off of Highland Valley Road in Ramona and is now one of the largest rehab centers in the country. The Project Wildlife Team rehabilitates about 13,000 injured, orphaned or sick animals a year at the facility.