Phoenix Zoo: Mountain Lion Sisters

Press release from Phoenix Zoo:

March 8, 2022

Mountain lion sisters Sierra and Mystic were rescued from South Dakota in 2007, after hunters shot and killed their mother. They were two of seven cubs orphaned that season. The South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks department determined that the cubs were unable to survive on their own, so they were sent to new homes. One factor the department takes into account is the cubs’ ability to feed themselves. Most mountain lions stay with their mother for two years, moving from a diet of milk to small game around three to six months of age. Though Sierra and Mystic were only a few months old at the time of their capture, they already had a confirmed kill. Despite this surprising accomplishment, they were deemed too small and inexperienced to remain alone in the wild.

This press release was produced by Phoenix Zoo. The views expressed here are the author’s own.