The Oakland Zoo welcomed a new friend this week—a 4-week-old male mountain lion cub that was rescued thanks to a concerned resident and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The cub was first found and reported by a resident of El Dorado County in Northern California near the Nevada border. Fish and Wildlife crews tried for several days to find the mother using surveillance cameras and ground crews, but not a single other mountain lion was detected in the area, according to an Aug. 7 Oakland Zoo Facebook post.
The cub, sporting blackberry-shaped spots on his fur, was named Briar by zoo staffers, who said they were inspired by his spots.
“We will take care of little Briar until a forever home for him can be found,” they said.
After examination by zoo veterinarians, Briar appears to be in good health, they said.
Briar is the 27th rescued mountain lion the zoo has cared for through its Bay Area Cougar Action Team—a local alliance of organizations with a mission to protect mountain lions—which was launched by the zoo in 2013.
Through a longstanding partnership with Fish and Wildlife, the zoo takes care of sick or injured mountain lions including those hit by a car, injured from wildfires, or suffering other injuries, until they are healthy enough to return to the wild, according to its website.
Rescues at the zoo get to enjoy a large habitat full of mature oak trees and natural spaces to explore and climb, according to the website.
The zoo recommends that people never feed mountain lions, lest they become comfortable with humans and pose a danger.
“If we offer access to food even once, we end up with a situation where the animal associates humans with food,” officials said on the zoo’s website.
Risk Level
According to the National Park Service, mountain lions are not a significant threat to people.“There is a far greater risk, for example, of being killed in an automobile accident with a deer than of being attacked by a mountain lion,” park service officials said on their website.
They said mountain lions are usually elusive, calm, and quiet, and an attack can be avoided as long as the person doesn’t bend over, crouch, or run. People should stay calm and quiet, back up slowly, throw rocks, and fight back if the lion attacks.
Residents are encouraged to report mountain lion sightings immediately to Animal Control.
