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Orphaned cub and sibling came to San Diego Humane Society after mom was hit by a carEast County News Service
Photo courtesy San Diego Humane Society
June 23, 2021 (Ramona) -- One of the mountain lions who spent 4 months at San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center under the care of the organization’s Project Wildlife team, was released back into the wild late Monday, June 21. The 6-month-old cub and her sister came to San Diego Humane Society after their mother had been hit by a car, leaving them orphaned near the Tijeras Creek Golf Course in Orange County. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) determined the cubs could not fend for themselves in Rancho Santa Margarita and requested assistance from SDHS. The first cub arrived at the Ramona Wildlife Center on Feb. 11, 2021 and the second was transferred from Serrano Animal and Bird Hospital after surgery on May 1, 2021.
The second mountain lion had a left forearm fracture and needed surgical repair by the Serrano Animal and Bird Hospital veterinary team. She is still in care at the Ramona Wildlife Center and recovering.
While at the Ramona Wildlife Center, the mountain lions have been housed in large mammal compounds, limiting human interaction to only necessary veterinary exams and medical care in order to prevent imprinting. San Diego Humane Society’s Project Wildlife team in Ramona is the first in California to work under the direction of CDFW to rehab mountain lion kittens with the intention of releasing them back into the wild. “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.”
San Diego Humane Society’s Project Wildlife is the primary resource for wild animal rehabilitation and conservation education in San Diego County. Each year SDHS gives nearly 13,000 injured, orphaned and sick wild animals a second chance at life at the state-of-the-art Pilar & Chuck Bahde Wildlife Center. In 2020, SDHS announced a new Ramona Campus, where they specialize in caring for native apex predators and birds of prey, including hawks, owls, eagles, coyotes, bears, bobcats and mountain lions.
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