OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Wildlife officials rescued a critically sick mountain lion cub in Northern California and veterinarians named her “Holly” for the vacation season as they treat her in intensive care, the Oakland Zoo said Tuesday.
A Santa Cruz resident noticed the cub on her property on Monday and alerted the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, the zoo said in a Twitter thread. Wildlife officials waited to see whether the cub’s mother would return and took the animal to the zoo when she didn’t.
The zoo’s veterinarians estimate that the cub is three to 4 months old and critically sick. She was treated with fluids, vitamins and drugs. While that improved the cub’s bloodwork, she still is not standing or moving around often, the zoo said.
“We’re hopeful she continues to enhance but are taking it very much daily,” the zoo said.
The goal is to release animals back into the wild but with severely sick or young cubs like Holly, the zoo said, veterinarians are dedicated to “caring for them until they get better enough to search out suitable without end homes.”
Political Cartoons
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material is probably not published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
