Orphaned SoCal Mountain Lion Cub Recovering At East Bay Zoo

OAKLAND, CA — A three-week-old mountain lion cub is recovering at the Oakland Zoo after being found abandoned in Southern California, officials said.

The cub, named Crimson, was discovered by the National Park Service and the California Department of Wildlife, who took it to the Los Angeles Zoo on March 25, according to Oakland Zoo officials.

"Crimson was found alone and vocalizing frequently, which is unusual for a solitary mountain lion kitten to do for long periods," zoo officials said. "NPS biologists observed that Crimson’s mother had likely moved dens, and she was not returning to care for him."

After two days, with Crimson appearing noticeably weaker and having lost 10% of his body weight, wildlife officials say they decided to retrieve and relocate him for rehabilitation.

Following an exam, officials say they found that although Crimson was missing toes on one foot, he was otherwise in good health.

Crimson made his way by plane to Oakland Zoo's Animal Care two days later, zoo officials said.

"The Zoo is optimistic that Crimson will have a good life regardless of his history," zoo officials said in a statement Tuesday. "Although his health appears good at this time, he is at a delicate stage, and the Zoo will monitor him closely as he grows."

Crimson is currently being bottle-fed every three hours as Oakland zoo staff takes on the challenge of roleplaying as the cub's mother while allowing it to interact as it would in the wild, officials said.

Mountain lions need about a year to a year and a half with their mother in the wild to learn "essential" survival skills, zoo officials said.

Although the goal is for Crimson to return to the wild, he doesn't yet have the necessary skills. The zoo hopes to pair him with a female mountain lion cub named Clover, who was rescued last month.

"Mountain lion kittens tend to thrive with a companion, a strategy the Zoo has successfully used with other rescues," zoo officials said. "The pairing of Clover with Crimson will help improve their overall wellbeing and secure a brighter future for both cubs."

It's unclear what happened to Crimson's mother. It's rare for mountain lions to abandon their offspring or have only one kitten in a den, officials said.

Wildlife experts believe the mother may have left due to Crimson's missing toes. This, experts say, could have caused the mother to move her other kittens to a new site as a way to conserve resources, officials said.