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By Maria Azzurra Volpe
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Two mountain lion cubs found orphaned and malnourished in March have been released back into the wild after undergoing rehabilitation at San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center.
The cubs were discovered alone and in poor condition before beings safely trapped by the UC Davis California Carnivores Program team in coordination with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
They were then transferred to the Romona facility on March 26, where they spent over five months in care.
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During their rehabilitation, staff followed a strict protocol designed to limit human contact and encourage natural behavior. The cubs were taught essential survival skills—including hunting and avoiding humans—to get ready to be reintroduced to the wild.
On September 18, the young felines were released into suitable habitat in San Diego County.
“We’re incredibly proud of the work our team and partners have done to give these cubs a second chance,” said Autumn Welch, Wildlife Operations Manager at San Diego Humane Society.
“Releasing them back into their native habitat is the ultimate goal—and a major success story for mountain lion conservation in California.”
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Also known as cougars or pumas, mountain lions are top predators. However, they face serious threats from habitat loss and hunting.
Once nearly extinct in many regions, their current population in the U.S. is now estimated to be between 20,000 and 40,000.
Newsweek previously shared a map of the mountain lion population in the country, which shows that they can mainly be found across western states, with significant populations in Arizona, California, Colorado and Oregon, among others. Florida hosts a smaller population of the endangered Florida panther.
While mountain lions are highly adaptable to various ecosystems, their numbers declined historically due to being hunted by fearful humans. However, according to experts, they pose us minimal risk.
In fact, only 29 fatal incidents involving the animals have been recorded in North America since 1868.
If you encounter a mountain lion, experts advise not to run but to remain upright, make noise and make yourself appear larger to deter the animal to scare them away.
Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about mountain lions? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.
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