Three orphaned mountain lion cubs now will make the San Diego Zoo Safari Park their home, it was announced Thursday.
The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, UC Davis Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center and California Department of Fish and Wildlife rescued the 6-week old cubs separately over the course of a week.
Because the young lions were orphaned at an early age, they cannot be safely reintroduced into their native habitat, according to the alliance. Fish and Wildlife designated the Zoo Safari Park as a safe haven for the rescued cubs.
“Mountain lions are a keystone species right here in our own backyard,” said Lisa Peterson, executive director of the Safari Park. “It’s been a privilege to nurse these youngsters back to full health, and we now have the honor of caring for them long term.
A search party assembled to find the cubs by using data from the GPS collar of the mother, designated F307 by the UC Davis mountain lion research team.
On the first day of the search, team members from UC Davis found the first cub hiding in a hole, and the second was wedged tightly between two rocks, a statement from the Wildlife Alliance said.
Three days later, they found the third cub crouching in chaparral. The search continued for several more days, but remote trail cameras found no evidence of other cubs.
All three cubs were within 250 feet of each other. Due to their young age, they likely would not have survived more than a week on their own. The trio were reunited at the Paul Harter Veterinary Medical Center at the Safari Park and nursed back to full health, according to the Wildlife Alliance.
“Our UC Davis mountain lion study team really appreciated the help from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and the Department of Fish and Wildlife in the effort to locate the cubs, and the willingness of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park to give them excellent care long term,” said Dr. Winston Vickers, director, Southern California Mountain Lion Program.
Mountain lions’ habitat ranges from Canada to the tip of South America. They are extremely versatile and adaptable, surviving in a range of habitats including high mountains, deserts, coastal areas and even cities.
In Southern California, though, their proximity to people has put local mountain lions at risk of population decline.
“Ongoing and collaborative efforts between conservation partners, like (the ones) which have saved these orphaned cubs,” the alliance said, “help assure long-term survival of this iconic species in Southern California.”
– City News Service
