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Mountain lion cub Crimson rescued and moved to a California zoo.
Summary
A three-week-old mountain lion cub named Crimson was found alone in Southern California, monitored by biologists, and taken for medical care after losing about 10% of his body weight; he was flown to Oakland Zoo where staff are providing intensive round-the-clock care.
Content
A three-week-old mountain lion cub was found alone in Southern California and later taken into human care. Biologists visited the den multiple times and used GPS and cameras to check for the mother. Officials intervened after the cub began vocalizing more often and lost about 10% of his body weight. He is now at Oakland Zoo receiving intensive veterinary and caregiving support.
Known details:
- The cub has been named Crimson and was monitored by biologists before officials determined the mother was not returning.
- Wildlife rescuers from the National Park Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife transported him to the Los Angeles Zoo on March 25 for a full medical evaluation that included blood tests, a CT scan, and a physical exam.
- Staff found the cub was missing multiple toes on one paw, which care teams believe is an injury from the wild.
- On March 27, Flying Tails Animal Rescue flew Crimson to Oakland Zoo, where he became the facility's 33rd mountain lion rescue.
- Oakland Zoo staff are bottle-feeding him every three hours and monitoring him closely as he grows.
- Because mountain lion cubs typically stay with their mothers for up to 18 months to learn survival skills, the zoo does not plan to release him and hopes to introduce him to another rescued cub, Clover, once he is larger and more robust.
Summary:
Crimson is receiving ongoing medical evaluation and round-the-clock care at Oakland Zoo after being found alone and underweight. Staff describe him as delicate but in overall good health and will monitor his progress. When he is larger and more robust, the zoo plans an initial introduction with another rescued cub, Clover.
