According to the San Diego Humane Society, a mountain lion cub hit by a vehicle and suffered horrible injuries has been released back to the wild.
It took nearly five months of careful recovery to restore the young male lion to health without letting it be overly dependent or comfortable.
“Our job is to provide medical services while preserving the wild instincts of animals so that they have their best chances,” said Autumn Welch, wildlife operations manager at Ramona Wildlife Center, San Diego Venetian Association.
(San Diego Humane Society)
It was a difficult task, the cub was found in January with a fractured skull, eye trauma and a hind leg behind the lap, which was hit by a vehicle and was found.
The pup was initially treated at the Serrano Animal and Bird Hospital in Orange County and was transferred to the Humane Society for long-term rehabilitation.
During the first few weeks of the center, staff focused on pain management and getting him to eat. Staff said they moved him to the outdoor fence as soon as possible so that he could continue his recovery with “minimum human contact.”
About 150 days later, his caregivers thought he had gained enough weight and strength to be released back into the wild. He also demonstrates natural survival behaviors and is crucial to avoid people.
“This is a time when all of us are working hard,” Welch said.
So, on June 17, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife released him to a remote area of the Santa Ana Mountains in Orange County.
(San Diego Humane Society)
The Humane Society is still caring for two orphan mountain lions who arrived at the Ramona Wildlife Center in late March. A team of bears, composed of UC Davis researchers and California’s Fish and Wildlife Force, trapped the bears after they were found.
The purpose is to keep them healthy – and to keep enough humans – safely released back into the wild.
“We thank our partnership with CDFW and UC Davis and have the opportunity to bring a second chance to life in the wild for these incredible animals,” Welch said.
The San Diego Humane Society’s project Wildlife Program cares about more than 10,000 wildlife each year, including orphan songbirds and Apex Predators, hoping to recover and return them to their natural habitat.
