San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Rescues Orphaned Mountain Lion Cubs After Mother's Death
The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, in collaboration with the University of California, Davis Wildlife Health Center, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, successfully rescued three mountain lion cubs after their mother, F307, died following contact with people. Researchers had been monitoring F307 using a GPS collar and noticed her repeatedly visiting a specific site within the 1800-acre Wildlife Biodiversity Reserve at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. This pattern led them to hypothesize that she had cubs hidden there. After F307's death, a week-long search operation was launched to locate the cubs, who were in critical danger without their mother's protection and milk. The cubs, named Hemuk, Teoye, and Pike (meaning three, zero, and seven in the Kumeyaay language, honoring their mother's designation), were found dehydrated and brought to the veterinary hospital for care. Due to their young age and lack of survival skills learned from their mother, they could not be reintroduced into the wi...
