On Monday, the 3rd of February, Riverside Discovery Center was contacted by the North American Mountain Lion Species Survival Plan and informed of an abandoned cub that had been found by Utah Division of Wildlife Services. I am happy to announce that that cub has been relocated and is now settling in at Riverside Discovery Center where it will form part of our collection involved in the education of the wider public on Mountain Lions and the conservation efforts towards this species.
The cub was found abandoned and it was suspected that its mother had been killed by hunters. It was immediately captured and sent to a rehabber for treatment and temporary housing. The Mountain Lion SSP was also informed of the cub and contacted us to ask if we would be interested in stepping in and giving her a home. As this fits with our collection plan, we gladly said yes! After securing the correct permits and documentation, the cub was collected in Utah on the 12th of February in a 16 hour round trip.
Upon arrival to the zoo, she was entered into a prepared quarantine enclosure where she spent the next thirty days under observation by the RDC team. On the 12th of March she underwent a full knockdown procedure and was inspected and vaccinated by the zoo’s vet team. The vet’s finding noted that she was a healthy specimen in great condition and that there were no complications or negative findings with respect to her bloodwork.
She was then moved to our Carnivore Complex where she will settle in and soon enter onto display. Unofficially and affectionately nicknamed “Little Miss” due to her size, she will be slowly and methodically introduced to Jasper, our one-and-a-half-year-old mountain lion through indirect contact, visual sightings and scent markings. “Little Miss” will have to grow a bit more before we introduce them directly to each other, as he is approximately 4 times her size – She currently weighs 22 pounds. Members of the public that are interested in seeing her might be afforded the chance as she slowly explores her new home, however we will be announcing the exact date that she gains access to her full enclosure in the next week or two, so we encourage everyone to keep an eye out for when this event will be happening!