Sickly After Brat Diet, Mountain Lion Cub Is Now Wild Again

WETMORE, CO – Mountain lion cubs are acting like the wild animals they are meant to be, after four months in a wildlife rehab facility. One cub was confiscated in November from a Walsenburg home by Colorado Parks and Wildlife where it had become sick after being fed bratwurst, CPW said.

At the Wet Mountain Wildlife Rehabilitation center in Wetmore, cubs were "consuming deer and pronghorn meat and burying leftovers!" CPW's Southeast Region tweeted.

The cub in Walsenburg was being kept as a family pet, and the family had posted photos on Facebook, the CPW reported in November. The animal was probably not completely weaned from its mother's milk when it was fed bits of bratwurst and other human food and became ill, CPW said.

The agency reminded the public that it is illegal in Colorado to possess wild animals and dangerous to the animals' health.

"If you find wildlife you believe to be orphaned, leave the area immediately and call CPW," Travis Sauder, CPW district wildlife manager said in a statement. "By leaving the area, mom will feel safe to come back and retrieve her young.

"Many animals intentionally leave their young behind when startled, relying on the built-in camouflage of the youngsters' spotted fur to keep them safe. The mother will then return to retrieve its young once the area is safe."

Related: Mountain Lion-Killing Colorado Man Speaks For First Time [WATCH]

Related: Mountain Lion Cub Removed From Home After Being Fed Bratwurst

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