Crimson the mountain lion cub, abandoned by mom, has leg amputated: ‘Incredibly resilient’
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- Crimson, a mountain lion cub abandoned by his mother, was rescued at just 3 weeks old and moved from the Los Angeles Zoo to the Oakland Zoo for intensive care.
- Despite round-the-clock bottle feedings and months of bandaging and bracing his injured hind leg, veterinarians ultimately amputated Crimson’s limb to ensure long-term comfort and mobility.
- Now about 5½ months old, Crimson is thriving on three legs, quickly returning to playful, curious cub behavior as the Oakland Zoo expands its track record of rescuing orphaned mountain lions.
Abandoned by his mother, mountain lion cub Crimson was rescued earlier this year by wildlife officials and transferred to the Los Angeles Zoo with hopes for his full recovery.
The 3-week-old kitten was found in his den on March 25. He had lost 10% of his body weight and had several of his toes missing on a hind leg, which zoo officials said happened in the wild. His overall condition was considered healthy, yet still subpar. Crimson was sent to the Oakland Zoo, where caretakers bottle-fed him around the clock.
During his initial days, zoo officials said that Crimson’s health was “at a delicate stage,” and would require close monitoring. Crimson underwent multiple bandaging and bracing techniques to aid his limb development.
But officials said protecting his injured leg became “difficult.” Though a brace was used, it became clear to Crimson’s caretakers that his paw couldn’t bear weight.
After several months of treatment, zoo officials said the decision was made to amputate Crimson’s leg.
“Amputating the affected limb [gives] him the best chance for long-term comfort and mobility,” zoo officials shared in a Facebook post.
So far, Crimson, now about 5½ months old, seems to be getting along well on three legs.
“Crimson has proven to be incredibly resilient,” the zoo said, “returning almost immediately to the curious, energetic behavior expected of a growing cub.”
Crimson is the latest mountain lion cub to be rescued at the Oakland Zoo. Last year, zoo officials took in a trio of 3-month-old cubs, Fern, Thistle, and Spruce, after their mom was likely struck and killed by a car.
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