A pair of orphaned mountain lion cubs found in Southern California have been taken in by the Oakland Zoo.
Media: Oakland Zoo/Reuben ManessA pair of young mountain lion cubs believed to be siblings orphaned when their mother was struck by a car in Southern California have been taken in by the Oakland Zoo, the zoo announced this week.
The two cubs, both three to four months old and each weighing about 30 pounds, were discovered in Orange County two weeks apart earlier this year, near the site where an adult female mountain lion was struck and killed by a car.
The first cub was found in someone's backyard in Silverado Canyon, and the second was found by the side of a road in Rancho Santa Margarita, according to the zoo.
Because they are close in age and were both found near the crash site, about 15 miles apart, veterinarians believe they are sons of the female who was killed, and will be conducting DNA tests to verify that the cubs are brothers.
Two orphaned mountain lion cubs have been taken in by the Oakland Zoo.
Two orphaned mountain lion cubs have been taken in by the Oakland Zoo.
Two orphaned mountain lion cubs have been taken in by the Oakland Zoo.
Two orphaned mountain lion cubs have been taken in by the Oakland Zoo.
Two orphaned mountain lion cubs have been taken in by the Oakland Zoo.
Two orphaned mountain lion cubs have been taken in by the Oakland Zoo.
Two orphaned mountain lion cubs have been taken in by the Oakland Zoo. Click through the gallery to learn more about the history of mountain lions.
Two orphaned mountain lion cubs have been taken in by the Oakland Zoo. Click through the gallery to learn more about the history of mountain lions.
Pre 1500s: According to the Bay Area Puma Project, the Native Americans maintained a "respectful and reverent" relationship with pumas prior to the arrival of European settlers.
Pre 1500s: According to the Bay Area Puma Project, the Native Americans maintained a "respectful and reverent" relationship with pumas prior to the arrival of European settlers.
A baby jackrabbit was found shivering in the cold by a Tracy woman out walking her dog. The jackrabbit was badly malnourished when it was found, but Wildcare nursed it back to health in their first baby animal rescue of the year. FULL STORY
lessA baby jackrabbit was found shivering in the cold by a Tracy woman out walking her dog. The jackrabbit was badly malnourished when it was found, but
... moreUC Berkeley students and staff were alerted that a man has been repeatedly depositing body lice in buildings across campus. FULL STORY
UC Berkeley students and staff were alerted that a man has been repeatedly depositing body lice in buildings across campus. FULL STORY
A mountain lion snatched a small dog from a Pescadero bedroom after the residents reportedly left their French doors partially open for the dog to go outside. FULL STORY
lessA mountain lion snatched a small dog from a Pescadero bedroom after the residents reportedly left their French doors partially open for the dog to
... moreFourteen miles off the coast of Newport Beach, a pregnant great white shark ate her fill of a bloated whale carcass, feasting on it for hours. FULL STORY
lessFourteen miles off the coast of Newport Beach, a pregnant great white shark ate her fill of a
... moreCalifornia Highway Patrol officers may have saved a tiny life when they found a kitten clinging to the bottom of a patrol car on I-880. FULL STORY
lessCalifornia Highway Patrol officers may have saved a tiny life when they found a kitten clinging to the bottom of a patrol car on I-880. FULL
... moreTourist "attraction" the San Francisco Dungeon hosted a two-day pop-up cafe set up for those who want to enjoy a delightful morning with everyone's favorite (and domesticated) rodents. FULL STORY
lessTourist "attraction" the San Francisco Dungeon hosted a two-day pop-up cafe set up for those who want to enjoy a delightful morning with
... moreA rare piebald dolphin called "Patches" was once again spotted off the California coast. The dolphin has been spotted as far south as San Diego and as far north as Santa Cruz Island in Santa Barbara County. FULL STORY
lessA rare piebald dolphin called "Patches" was once again spotted off the California coast. The dolphin has been spotted as far south as San
... moreAn influx of Boston terriers and Tibetan Spaniels arrived at the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter after being rescued from a private residence in the Santa Cruz Mountains. FULL STORY
lessAn influx of Boston terriers and Tibetan Spaniels arrived at the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter after being rescued from a private residence
... moreShawna Cepeda of San Dimas said she still felt sick a week after finding a dead frog in her salad at a BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse outside Los Angeles in West Covina. FULL STORY
lessShawna Cepeda of San Dimas said she still felt sick a week after finding a dead frog in her salad at a BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse outside
... moreA boater appeared to collide with a humpback whale, according to a photo taken near the Golden Gate Bridge. May and June saw a large number of humpback whales enter the bay. "I've been in this game for a lot of decades, and this is the first time I've heard of this many humpbacks coming in this far," Mary Jane Schramm, the spokeswoman for the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, told the Chronicle. FULL STORY
lessA boater appeared to collide with a humpback whale, according to a photo taken near the Golden Gate Bridge. May and June saw a large
... moreSouthern California native Amy Goldman Koss got out of her car on the I-105 in Los Angeles to chase down and rescue a runaway rooster. FULL STORY
Southern California native Amy Goldman Koss got out of her car on the I-105 in Los Angeles to chase down and rescue a runaway rooster. FULL STORY
It was a close call for another humpback whale in the San Francisco Bay. Video taken from the Golden Gate Bridge by Lauri Duke showed a whale rolling out of the way as a sailboat approached. FULLY STORY
lessIt was a close call for another humpback whale in the San Francisco Bay. Video taken from the Golden Gate Bridge by Lauri Duke showed a
... moreA baby bear in La Verne (Los Angeles County) got its head stuck in a plastic jug, prompting officers from the La Verne Police Department to come pull it off. FULL STORY
lessA baby bear in La Verne (Los Angeles County) got its head stuck in a plastic jug, prompting officers from the La Verne Police
... moreA real-life angry bird wouldn't stop attacking pedestrians passing by the Safeway in San Francisco's Castro neighborhood. FULL STORY
A real-life angry bird wouldn't stop attacking pedestrians passing by the Safeway in San Francisco's Castro neighborhood. FULL STORY
A man in Palmdale (Los Angeles County) discovered a snake in his bathtub after reportedly mistaking it for a rag and grabbing it. FULL STORY
A man in Palmdale (Los Angeles County) discovered a snake in his bathtub after reportedly mistaking it for a rag and grabbing it. FULL STORY
Solano County Deputy Coroner Amy Thurau examines dead humans for a living, but can't seem to handle dead snakes. In a video posted to Facebook by the Solano County Sheriff's office, Thurau is seen struggling to pick up and remove a dead snake from the road. FULL STORY
lessSolano County Deputy Coroner Amy Thurau examines dead humans for a living, but can't seem to handle dead snakes. In a video posted to
... moreHow would you react if you saw the fin of a great white shark pop up in the ocean next to you? Francesca Nash was pretty calm when a juvenile great white approached her paddleboard at Santa Claus Beach in Carpinteria (Santa Barbara County). FULL STORY
lessHow would you react if you saw the fin of a great white shark pop up in the ocean next to you? Francesca Nash was pretty calm when a
... moreFirefighters rescued a small canine from a burning house in Bakersfield, and thanks to their efforts, the pup survived. FULL STORY
Firefighters rescued a small canine from a burning house in Bakersfield, and thanks to their efforts, the pup survived. FULL STORY
A man kayaking off the Santa Barbara coast was attacked by a shark and luckily got away unharmed. FULL STORY
A man kayaking off the Santa Barbara coast was attacked by a shark and luckily got away unharmed. FULL STORY
Police in Riverside County arrested a 72-year-old man on suspicion of bank robbery and found more than they had hoped for while searching his home. Police found and removed 35 dogs (including seven small puppies) from the man's house while searching the premises for evidence related to a bank robbery. FULL STORY
lessPolice in Riverside County arrested a 72-year-old man on suspicion of bank robbery and found more than they had hoped
... moreCalifornia Highway Patrol received an unusual roadkill sighting: A concerned citizen reported a smushed kangaroo on I-580 in Oakland. FULL STORY
lessCalifornia Highway Patrol received an unusual roadkill sighting: A concerned citizen reported a smushed kangaroo on I-580 in Oakland.
... moreJuvenile bobcats seldom leave their dens or mothers, which makes a hiker's discovery of a kitten alone on a trail in Marin County all the more startling. FULL STORY
lessJuvenile bobcats seldom leave their dens or mothers, which makes a hiker's discovery of a kitten alone on a trail in Marin County all the
... moreIt enters by the nostrils, wiggles upwards through olfactory pathways and plants itself in the brain. Once invaded, victims can't be treated and will most certainly die. The parasite, called Miamiensis avidus, is the pathogen most likely responsible for this year's mass die-offs of several Bay Area fish species. FULL STORY
lessIt enters by the nostrils, wiggles upwards through olfactory pathways and plants itself in the brain. Once
... moreThe body of a juvenile white shark washed ashore in Monterey Bay. Hours later, vandals hacked off its dorsal fin and removed most of its teeth. FULL STORY
lessThe body of a juvenile white shark washed ashore in Monterey Bay. Hours later, vandals hacked off its dorsal
... moreA family in Ridgecrest (Kern County) got quite the scare on Wednesday when they discovered a family of venomous snakes living inside their children's plastic playhouse in their backyard. Animal Control Officer Shawna Villa-Rodriguez responded to the call and found not one, but 19 sidewinder rattlesnakes under the playhouse. FULL STORY
lessA family in Ridgecrest (Kern County) got quite the scare on Wednesday when they discovered a family of venomous snakes
... moreA woman in Stockton claimed that her children stumbled upon a decomposing mouse inside a play structure at a Chuck E. Cheese's. FULL STORY
lessA woman in Stockton claimed that her children stumbled upon a decomposing mouse inside a play structure at a Chuck E. Cheese's. FULL
... moreNearly 100 bushy-tailed babies fell from their arbor nests and, eventually, landed at the Peninsula Humane Society and SPCA (PHS/SPCA) in Burlingame for rehabilitation. Tree trimming was likely to blame. FULL STORY
lessNearly 100 bushy-tailed babies fell from their arbor nests and, eventually, landed at the Peninsula Humane Society and SPCA (PHS/SPCA) in
... moreA correctional officer at Avenal State Prison allegedly kicked a feral kitten and was told on by an inmate who saw the incident. FULL STORY
lessA correctional officer at Avenal State Prison allegedly kicked a feral kitten and was told on by an inmate who saw the incident.
... moreA wayward dog wandered onto the BART tracks near Oakland’s Coliseum Station, causing major delays on the transit system across the bay during the morning commute. FULL STORY
lessA wayward dog wandered onto the BART tracks near Oakland’s Coliseum Station, causing major delays on the transit system across the bay during the
... moreKaren Davis-Brown of Petaluma spotted an alligator in her backyard, but chose her words very carefully when describing what she saw to Petaluma Animal Services. "I wasn't going to tell him there's an alligator in the backyard, because who would believe that," Davis-Brown said. FULL STORY
lessKaren Davis-Brown of Petaluma spotted an alligator in her backyard, but chose her words very carefully when describing what she saw to Petaluma
... moreSonoma County Sheriff's deputies on patrol in the badly-damaged neighborhood of Fountaingrove in the North Bay happened upon one resident who hadn't left the area: a scared cat meowing under a car. The cat, whose name is Milo, had apparently gotten close to the fire; officers noted that it had burned paws. FULL STORY
lessSonoma County Sheriff's deputies on patrol in the badly-damaged neighborhood of Fountaingrove in the North Bay happened upon one resident
... moreLinda Hamik had been trying to catch a stray chihuahua for two months. Hamik had seen it wandering around a small homeless encampment on College Avenue in Santa Rosa. About four weeks before the fires broke out, when she saw the sand-colored pup getting plump, Hamik suspected a pending puppy arrival. "Then the fire happened," Hamik told SFGATE. FULL STORY
lessLinda Hamik had been trying to catch a stray chihuahua for two months. Hamik had seen it
... moreA particularly large black bear was seen roaming the streets of Kings Beach. The bear was caught on video peeking into businesses in the community north of Lake Tahoe. The Placer County Sheriff's Department shared the video on its Facebook page with the caption, "WOW! Check out the size of this 'suspicious subject' that Deputy Nevins encountered in Kings Beach last night!" FULL STORY
lessA particularly large black bear was seen roaming the streets of Kings Beach. The bear was caught on video peeking into businesses in the
... moreThe younglings were placed at the Oakland Zoo after consulting with the California Department of FIsh and Wildlife and a number of conservation groups, including the Bay Area Cougar Action Team, which the Oakland Zoo helped to found in 2013 with the goal of saving mountain lions whose lives were disrupted by contact with humans.
According to Lynn Cullens, Executive Director of the Mountain Lion Foundation, the mountain lion population in the Santa Anas is among the most threatened in the nation, and habitat protection will be needed to ensure the population continues to survive.
"Orphaned kittens represent the death of a mother lions, and this isolated Orange County population cannot afford the loss," said Cullens.
"We have a lot of work to do to better protect and conserve pumas, from proper education to establishing wildlife crossings and proper enclosures for pets and livestock," Amy Gotliffe, Director of Conservation at the Oakland Zoo agreed.
The cubs will eventually be housed in the zoo's 56-acre California Trail expansion, slated to open next summer. Construction is expected to be finished on a 26,000 square foot boomerang-shaped mountain lion habitat replete with caves, outcroppings and old oak trees by February.
They are currently being quarantined and cared for in the zoo's veterinary hospital, and have begun to show their personalities — the first is more cautious and shy, while the second, who arrived at the zoo on Monday, is more rambunctious and feisty, according to zookeepers. Staff are encouraging them to bond with each other and build trust in their keepers before they go on view to the public next summer in what will be one of the largest mountain lion exhibits in the world.
Filipa Ioannou is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at fioannou@sfchronicle.com and follow her on Twitter