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Three weeks old; all alone and losing weight fast. When wildlife biologists found Crimson the mountain lion cub in Southern California, they faced a tough call.
Intervene too soon and you risk separating a cub from a mama mountain lion who’s coming back. Wait too long and the outcome can be just as bad.
So they watched and made multiple visits to the den. Cameras were set up. GPS tracking was enabled. They only moved in after Crimson started vocalizing persistently—his way of signaling distress—and had lost close to 10% of his body weight. His mother wasn’t coming back to him.
On March 25, teams from the National Park Service and California Department of Fish and Wildlife brought him to the Los Angeles Zoo for a full medical workup. There he was given a blood work up, CT scan and complete examination. Overall, his condition wasn’t bad considering what he’d endured. But vets found something troubling: Crimson had several toes missing on one paw, likely injured while he was alone in the wild.
Two days later, a volunteer transport group flew Crimson north to Oakland Zoo’s veterinary hospital. He is now the 33rd mountain lion the facility has rescued—a number that shows how frequently these situations happen across California.
The comments on the Oakland Zoo footage captured people’s genuine concern for the cub.
“What happened to his mom? 🥺” somebody asked the question on everyone’s mind.
Related: Mama Bear’s Precious Game of Hide-n-Seek With Her Cubs Caught on Trail Cam
“He was so hungry that he began suckling on her arm ❤️” because in the video, Crimson’s latching onto his caregiver’s arm while waiting for his bottle.
“The tiny meows 🥰,” those precious vocalizations hit different.
“Fun fact: it can meow because it’s the biggest of the small cats. Big cats (lions, tigers, leopards) can’t meow” providing the educational context.
“If not friend, why friend shaped?” the eternal question everyone would like the answer to.
“That’s the cutest little mf,” facts.
Mountain Lion Cubs Need Their Mothers for Over a Year to Learn Survival Skills
Here’s why Crimson won’t be returned to the wild: mountain lion cubs spend a year or more with their mothers learning everything they need to survive on their own. Without that solid foundation, release isn’t realistic.
Instead, the Oakland Zoo plans to eventually pair him with Clover, another young rescued cub already in the zoo’s care. That companionship matters for development. The introduction will happen when Crimson’s ready.
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Right now, Crimson is getting bottle-fed every three hours. He’s receiving round-the-clock care and close monitoring of his injured paw. The team’s doing everything possible to fill in for the mother he lost.
Crimson’s road is a long one. But he’s got an entire team walking it with him.
Second chance: in progress.
This story was originally published by Parade Pets on Apr 8, 2026, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add Parade Pets as a Preferred Source by clicking here.