Two young mountain lions were returned to the wild after more than five months of rehabilitation at San Diego Humane Society's Ramona Wildlife Center, it was announced Monday.
"We're incredibly proud of the work our team and partners have done to give these cubs a second chance," the society's wildlife operations manager, Autumn Welch, said in a statement. "Releasing them back into their native habitat is the ultimate goal — and a major success story for mountain lion conservation in California."
The orphaned and malnourished cubs were rescued in March by the UC Davis California Carnivores Program team and taken to the Humane Society in Ramona back.
The cubs were provided with veterinary attention from Project Wildlife and specialized rehabilitation to build essential survival skills, including hunting behaviors and a natural wariness of people, according to wildlife officials.
On Sept. 18, the young felines were released into a "suitable" habitat in San Diego County.
The San Diego Humane Society cares for more than 10,000 wild animals each year.
More information about Project Wildlife can be found at sdhumane.org/wildlife.
