Biologists are working to reunite a mountain lion cub with her mother after the cub was found earlier this week in the middle of a Castaic roadway, a California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesperson said.
Initial reports indicated that a mountain lion cub may have possibly been hit by a car near Hillcrest Parkway in Castaic in the early hours of Wednesday morning, Cort Klopping, a spokesman for the agency, said on Friday.
Fish and Wildlife personnel were dispatched to the location after the cub was seen running off to the nearby area at around 2:15 a.m. that same morning. It was also reported that two other lions were traveling with the cub at the time of the incident, according to CHP Officer Carlos Burgos- Lopez, during initial reports.
After the cub was captured by a field team, she was transported to a local veterinarian’s office for assessment, Klopping said.
Radiograph tests were performed, and vets did not find any broken bones, swelling, or obvious issues. The cub only had a small laceration on its right front paw, and slight fraying, he added.
Photo courtesy of California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The cub was weighed at 16 pounds, which is considered slightly underweight for a cub between 4 to 5 months old, Klopping said, but she was “overall in good condition.”
Biologists could not determine why exactly the cub was lying in the middle of the road due to lack of eyewitness reports, and how the cub got the laceration on the paw remains unknown, Klopping said.
Now, Fish and Wildlife personnel are working to reunite the female cub with its mother and seeking residents’ help to report any possible sightings to help biologists pinpoint where the cat may be traveling.
“She’s not big enough to fend for herself, or old enough. She’s still pretty young,” Klopping said.
The female cub is currently being observed by biologists and was placed in a nearby area where she was first located, which was described as a thick brush, perfect for a young mountain lion to hide, he said.
Trail cameras were laid out in the area where biologists believe the adult mountain lion associated with the cub may be, but it has yet to be spotted on the cameras, Klopping said.
The female mountain lion cub found in the middle of a roadway in Castaic is placed in the general area of where it was first located in an effort to be reunited with its mother. Courtesy of Department of Fish and Wildlife.
He asked the public to keep a distance from the area as it could negatively impact the efforts to reunite the cub with her family, but if Castaic residents spot a mountain lion, they can report it on the “sightings” page of the agency’s official website:wildlife.ca.gov/Sightings.
“That’ll give our biologists a better idea of where the best place is to try to reunite this cub with its family,” Klopping said.
Mountain lions are native to California and the second largest felid in North and South America and are reclusive and solitary animals, mostly avoiding people when possible, according to Fish and Wildlife.
In May 2025, a 7-month-old mountain lion was spotted in a tree for hours in a Valencia neighborhood.
Department and Fish and Wildlife officials advise the public to never approach a mountain lion, and to give them an escape route if a person encounters one. Do not run, remain calm and do not turn your back on the cat. A person could make loud noise and try to look bigger but do not crouch down or bend over.
If an individual is traveling with small children, it is advised that children are put on someone’s shoulders. Fish and Wildlife also advises the public to always stay alert on trails, keep pets leashed and walk with small children, and not let them run ahead.
Photo courtesy of California Department of Fish and Wildlife.