Firefighter rescues mountain lion cub burned in California wildfire
REDDING, Calif. – A mountain lion cub that suffered severe burns in the Zogg Fire was rescued by a firefighter this week and is now being treated at the Oakland Zoo.
The male cub is just four to six weeks old, and the zoo is calling him "Captain Cal" after the state's fire agency, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, for short. He weighs just 3.75 pounds, according to the zoo.
After the Cal Fire firefighter found the cub on Wednesday, the agency reached out to the Shasta County Sheriff's Office, which then contacted the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, according to the zoo.
The CFDW put in an urgent call to the Oakland Zoo around 5 p.m. Wednesday. The zoo's veterinary team was on standby to treat the cub when it arrived at 7:15 p.m., according to a news release from the zoo.
Pete Figura, a CDFW wildlife management supervisor, said the cub was picked up in the fire scar of an area that had burned on Sunday and was "very close to the start of the fire."
Zoo workers said the cub was badly burned, especially on his paws. The cub's whiskers were singed off and his eyes were severely irritated.
Staff cleaned the cub, gave him antibiotics, supportive fluid, pain medication and milk formula for kittens through a syringe. The zoo performed an X-ray to see if he had damage to his bones or his lungs due to smoke inhalation, but results showed none.
One veterinarian said the cub is now eating on his own and acting feisty, positive signs for recovery.
We are treating an orphaned baby mtn lion who was injured in the Zogg fire near Redding.
This little male was rescued by a firefighter & brought to Oakland Zoo by @CaliforniaDFW, where we are doing everything we can to nurture him back to health.
More: https://t.co/pfhOY6iBn9 pic.twitter.com/tbaANawJSF— Oakland Zoo (@oakzoo) October 2, 2020
However, due to his young age and orphan status, zoo workers said he won't be able to learn how to survive in the wild on his own, so he will be placed in an appropriate "forever home" once ready to leave the zoo's veterinary hospital.
Mountain lions typically stay with their mothers until they are about 2 years old, according to the zoo.
"We’re cautiously optimistic that this cub will now survive and thrive, our dedicated team at Oakland Zoo is fully committed to do everything we can for him and for his beautiful species," Alex Herman, director of the zoo's veterinary hospital, said in a news release.
Follow Matt Brannon on Twitter: @MattBrannon_RS
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Mountain lion cub burned in Zogg Fire being treated at California zoo
