Severely injured Orange County mountain lion heals, readies for release

By Julie Sharp

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    ORANGE COUNTY, California (KCAL, KCBS) — A mountain lion that suffered a skull fracture and severe head and eye trauma after being hit by a car in Orange County is getting ready to return to the wild after nearly three months of care.

The cub was found on the side of a road on Jan. 15 and was initially treated at a Lake Forest animal hospital. The San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center took over his long-term care and rehabilitation, and calls the journey a “remarkable story of resilience.”

Aside from the head injuries, the mountain lion also exhibited lameness in his left leg. Treatment included pain management, nutritional support, and around-the-clock monitoring. The cub transitioned to an outdoor enclosure to regain strength and minimize human contact.

After 80 days of care, the humane society says the mountain lion is showing signs of readiness to return to the wild as he avoids humans and successfully hunts for food.

“We work closely with CDFW (California Department of Fish and Wildlife) to determine the best timing for his return to the wild,” said Autumn Nelson, Wildlife Operations Manager at San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center.

“Our job here is to set him up for success—to ensure he can fend for himself and stay away from human conflict.”

The San Diego Humane Society’s Project Wildlife program gives more than 10,000 injured, orphaned and sick wild animals a second chance each year.

At the Ramona Campus, San Diego Humane Society specializes in caring for native apex predators and birds of prey, including hawks, owls, eagles, coyotes, bears, bobcats and, under special case-by-case authorization, mountain lions.

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