A resident found a baby mountain lion all alone in California — and even wildlife officials couldn’t find its mom
. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife set up wildlife surveillance cameras and also searched on foot hoping to find the tiny cub’s mom, “but sadly no mountain lions were detected in the area for several days,” the Oakland Zoo said in a Facebook post Aug. 7.
So department personnel brought the 4-week-old cub to the Oakland Zoo for care, the zoo said.
While officials didn’t say how the cub may have ended up orphaned in El Dorado County, mountain lion moms are often killed by cars in the area, officials said.
“When a mother mountain lion is killed in a car strike, it is likely her cubs will not survive because they rely on her for food and guidance,” the zoo said on its website. A beloved mountain lion was killed crossing a Southern California highway in January — not far from where one of her cubs had also died, McClatchy News previously reported.
Video shows the little blue-eyed cub curiously looking around during a veterinary examination, wrapped in a light blue blanket that matches its eyes.
“Fortunately, the cub shows no signs of major health problems,” zoo officials said. “His care team has named him Briar, inspired by the spots on his fur resembling a blackberry bush.”
Mountain lion cubs are born with spots to help them blend in with their surroundings while they’re young and vulnerable.
“We will take care of little Briar until a forever home for him can be found,” officials said.
He’s the 27th rescued mountain lion staff has cared for at the zoo through its Bay Area Cougar Action Team and one of the youngest, officials said.
Several people thanked the resident who found the cub and said in the comments they hoped Briar’s mom was OK.
“It’s so sad they can’t find Mom,” someone said. “Know you will be loved very much from here on.”
“I’m so sorry this little guy needed rescue, but I’m looking forward to watching him grow and thrive!” another person said.
This article by Brooke Baitinger was first published by The Sacramento Bee on 8 August 2024. Lead Image: A resident found a baby mountain lion all alone in California, and wildlife officials couldn’t find its mom for days. So a zoo took the little cub in. Screen grab from Oakland Zoo’s video on Facebook.
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