A young female mountain lion is back in the wild after spending nearly six months at San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center. California Department of Fish and Wildlife first brought the mountain lion to San Diego Humane Society on May 30, severely emaciated, anemic and with soft tissue trauma. She had been found in Yucca Valley by a member of the public, and her open wounds were consistent with an animal attack. Due to her low body weight, she was presumably too weak to fully fend off her attackers.
Mountain lions are apex predators, so it is crucial for them to be fully recovered and able to survive and hunt on their own.
“We did not know if this mountain lion was going to make it at first because she was so debilitated,” said Autumn Nelson, Wildlife Operations Manager at San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center in a press statement. “Remarkably, against all odds, she gained the necessary weight and became strong enough to return home, which is the goal for every patient who enters our care.”
The cougar was released by the CDFW on Nov. 20, in San Bernardino County. Before release, she was outfitted with a satellite GPS collar for tracking to help ensure her future health and wellbeing.
Project Wildlife’s veterinary team at San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center gave the cat pain medication and antibiotics and treated her wounds. During a sedated exam on June 28, veterinarians determined her wounds were healing nicely and she was moved to an outside enclosure to continue her recovery. While outside, Project Wildlife’s care team monitored the mountain lion from a distance with trail cameras in a habitat that closely mimicked her life in the wild. To make a successful release possible, it is essential for staff to keep mountain lions wild and to avoid human contact.
