A three-week-old orphaned lion cub found in Castaic, California, suffering from missing toes and malnutrition, has been recovering at the Oakland Zoo. And what makes this story a lot more heartwarming is his bonding with another rescued cub that will be providing the crucial social connection both cubs will need.
The latest cub, named Crimson had been rescued late last week by the National Park Service and California Department of Fish and Wildlife after he was spotted in a rural roadway. Because he is so young, the kit is being bottle fed every three hours by the staff at the zoo. He suffers from missing toes and malnutrition.
Crimson was being initially cared for by staff at the Los Angeles Zoo where veterinarians and staff performed blood tests, radiographs and a CT scan, determining that it was in overall good health besides missing his toes on one foot.
The zoo plans to introduce Crimson to Clover, another rescued mountain lion cub, to ensure the youngster is not alone during its rehabilitation.
Although his health appears good at this time, he is at a delicate stage, and we will monitor him closely as he grows.
After he successfully rehabilitates at our vet hospital, we hope to introduce Crimson to Clover, the female cub rescued earlier this month.
Mountain lion cubs stay with their mothers up to 18 months learning the skills they need to survive in the wild. survival skills, according to zoo officials. Due to his age, Crimson can not be released back into the wild.
Here’s a little more about Clover:
“This intrepid orphaned puma continues to improve, and is starting to build more muscle. Like many of the rescued cubs we care for, Clover has signs of ringworm, and we are treating her for that. Our mountain lion rescue team is giving Clover lots of attention, so she knows she’s not alone. Enrichment like this pink piggy help give Clover a sense of companionship, which improves her wellbeing immensely.”
The Oakland Zoo has now managed 33 mountain lion rescues.
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