Orphaned Mountain Lion Cubs Found in Orange County Arrive at Oakland Zoo

Two orphaned mountain lion cubs discovered two weeks apart in Southern California have found a new home at the Oakland Zoo.

The male cubs, about 4 months old, were found two weeks and 15 miles apart in a rugged area in eastern Orange County. The cubs' mother may have been recently struck and killed by a vehicle in the same area.

Veterinarians will test the cubs to determine if they are brothers.

One cub is feisty and doing well after arriving at the zoo on Monday. The other cub was described as more shy and cautious.

The cubs will be a part of a new California exhibit expected to open early next year.

Mountain lions in the Santa Ana Mountains are considered some of the most imperiled in the United States, according to Lynn Cullens, executive director of the Mountain Lion Foundation.

"Orphaned kittens represent the death of a mother lions, and this isolated Orange County population cannot afford the loss," said Cullens. "It will take protection of habitat and wildlife corridors, depredation prevention efforts, and enhancements of Southern California freeways to allow the mountain lions of the Santa Anas and Orange County to survive. The two orphaned kittens at the Oakland Zoo are evidence of that need."

Amy Goliffe, director of Conservation at the Oakland Zoo, called it an honor to provide a home for the youngsters. Their zoo habitat, which is under construction, is designed to mimic the mountain lions' California habitat. The 26,000-square-foot expansion is expected to be done this spring. 

The mountain lion population is high in California, relative to other parts of the United States. Density estimates vary, but the figure might be as high as 10 lions per 100 square miles. By that estimate, the population is somewhere between 4,000 to 6,000 mountain lions statewide. 

But it's difficult to say whether that population is increasing or decreasing without an ongoing statewide study. 

One thing is certain -- mountain lions go where they can find food, primarily deer. That sometimes brings them into urban areas, but it should be noted that a person is 1,000 times more likely to be struck by lightning than attacked by a mountain lion, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. There have been only 16 verified mountain lion attacks in California since 1890, six of which were fatal, according to the agency.

The department receives hundreds of reports each year about mountain lions killing pets and livestock.

Mountain lions are a specially protected species in California under the California Wildlife Protection Act of 1990, approved as Prop 117 by California voters. The classification has nothing to do with mountain lion numbers in California, but its passage made it illegal to hunt the big cats.