When he was discovered, this lion was approximately 3 months of age and weighed 12 pounds. He is now nearly 5 years old and weighs approximately 130 pounds.

Physical Condition
Physical examination revealed the lion to be slightly malnourished and seriously dehydrated. I.V. fluids were indicated and were administered. this examination also revealed a fracture, well in to the healing stage, in the lions right femur. This was confirmed on 27 December by examination and radiographs performed by Dr. Donald S. Wood of Adobe Animal Hospital Ramona. Dr. Wood, who is the veterinarian for this center, stated that the degree of healing and extent of calcification precludes the feasibility of corrective orthopedic surgery. The fracture did heal with the bone in good alighnment. The lion has full use of the leg but does walk with a slight limp. There exists nothing which would indicate how the injury occurred.

Will This Lion Be Raised And Released?
"Not a chance" said Chuck Traisi, Manager of the Wildlife Rehab Center, "Any wild animal raised in captivity could not be released until it neared or reached its natural dispersal age. For mountain lions, this is between 18 and 24 months of age. Even under optimum conditions, which would mean raised with another cub and free of any human exposure, some degree of imprinting would occur. Such imprinting, however slight, would result in this lion being a serious threat to public safety. In the case of this specific lion, even the slightest disability resulting from the femoral fracture would seriously reduce the potential for survival."

What Will Happen To This Lion?
"Working in coordination with the California Department of Fish & Game, we will attempt to locate a suitable facility where this lion can enjoy a decent quality of life," said Traisi. "During the interim, the lion will remain at this center."

Does This Lion Have A Name?
"Although someone will eventually give this lion a name, we do not name the wildlife at this center," said Traisi.

Additional Comments
Added Traisi, "Although lions are common in most areas of the county, finding an orphaned or injured cub is an extreme rarity. Due to the elusive nature of the species, if a cub becomes injured or orphaned, it quickly becomes part of the food chain. The natural mortality rate for lions, as with most predatory species, averages 50% or higher."

"The finding of this cub could be viewed as being indicative of the density of lions in our county," stated Traisi. "While there presently exists no scientific evidence to support such, I have reason to believe the growth rate of the species has seen a sharp increase in the past 3-4 years."