Mountain Lions Released Back Into Wild In San Diego County

SAN DIEGO, CA — Two young mountain lions were returned to the wild after more than five months of rehabilitation at San Diego Humane Society's Ramona Wildlife Center, it was announced Monday.

"We're incredibly proud of the work our team and partners have done to give these cubs a second chance," the society's wildlife operations manager, Autumn Welch, said in a statement. "Releasing them back into their native habitat is the ultimate goal -- and a major success story for mountain lion conservation in California."

The cubs were found alone and malnourished in March before being safely trapped by the UC Davis California Carnivores Program team, in coordination with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).

"When they arrived at our Ramona Wildlife Center, our Project Wildlife team got to work, providing expert veterinary care and guiding them through a specialized rehabilitation protocol designed to build essential survival skills — from hunting behaviors to having a natural wariness of people. After months of care, the moment finally came: they were ready to return home," Welch said.

The cubs received veterinary attention from Project Wildlife and specialized rehabilitation to develop essential survival skills, including hunting behaviors and a natural wariness of humans, according to wildlife officials.

On Sept. 18, the young felines were released into a "suitable" habitat in San Diego County.

The San Diego Humane Society cares for over 10,000 wild animals annually.

For more information about Project Wildlife, please visit www.sdhumane.org/wildlife.

"We couldn’t be prouder of the teamwork between our staff and partners, whose efforts gave these cubs a second chance at life," according to Welch. "Returning them to their native habitat is the ultimate goal, and this release marks an important milestone for mountain lion conservation in California."