NEED TO KNOW

• A 3-week-old mountain lion cub named Crimson was rescued after being abandoned in Southern California

• Crimson is receiving care at the Oakland Zoo, including bottle-feedings every three hours

• The zoo plans to introduce Crimson to another rescued cub, Clover, as part of his long-term rehabilitation

A 3-week-old mountain lion cub is getting a second chance at life after being rescued and transported to Oakland Zoo for around-the-clock care.

According to a press release from the California zoo, the male cub, now named Crimson, was found alone in Southern California.

Biologists made multiple visits to the cub’s den and tracked activity there using GPS and cameras to confirm that the cub’s mother wasn’t returning to care for the baby animal. Wildlife officials ultimately determined the cub had been abandoned after he began vocalizing frequently and lost about 10% of his body weight. Officials noted that they monitored Crimson closely before intervening.

Rescuers with the National Park Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) brought the baby mountain lion to the Los Angeles Zoo on Wednesday, March 25. The zoo’s veterinary staff conducted a full medical evaluation, including blood tests, a CT scan, and a physical examination.

Although he was determined to be in “overall good health,” the cub was missing multiple toes on one paw, which the care staff believed was an injury the cub sustained in the wild.

On March 27, Crimson was flown north by Flying Tails Animal Rescue and transferred to Oakland Zoo’s veterinary hospital, making Crimson the facility’s 33rd mountain lion rescue.

Now in intensive care, the tiny cub is being bottle-fed every three hours as the zoo’s staff works to replicate the care he would have received from his mother in the wild. “Although his health appears good at this time, he is at a delicate stage,” officials note. “The zoo will monitor him closely as he grows.”

Because mountain lion cubs typically stay with their mothers for up to 18 months to learn survival skills, Crimson cannot be released back into the wild. Instead, the zoo hopes to eventually introduce him to Clover, another rescued cub currently in its care.

“I’ve had the privilege of witnessing countless rescues,” said Oakland Zoo CEO Nik Dehejia. “There is something so deeply moving about watching our team pour themselves so completely into a single life.”

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For now, the focus remains on helping Crimson grow stronger. When he is “larger and more robust,” the staff will arrange an initial introduction with Clover.

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