An injured mountain lion cub was captured by wildlife officials Wednesday after it was seen huddled in the middle of a roadway in the Castaic area, probably after being struck by a car, officials said.
The juvenile mountain lion was taken to a local veterinarian to be assessed, Cort Klopping, a spokesperson for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, said Wednesday afternoon.
“You never want to see any animal, but especially a juvenile, injured,” Klopping said. “It’s certainly concerning … and we’re hoping for a good outcome on this.”
The cub was found sitting, motionless, in the middle of Hillcrest Parkway near Olympic Street in Castaic just before 1 a.m. Wednesday, according to April Elliott, a spokesperson for the California Highway Patrol, which first responded to the call about the animal.
The juvenile sat there for more than an hour as troopers waited for wildlife officials to arrive, with local broadcasters capturing gripping footage of the cub in the middle of the roadway.
The cub eventually got up and walked off on its own just after 2 a.m., Elliott said.
When wildlife officials arrived at the scene, they began searching for the injured cat, eventually finding it in some thick brush, Klopping said.
The team was able to capture the cub to take it to be examined.
Tiffany Yap, urban wildlands science director at the nonprofit conservation organization the Center for Biological Diversity, called this incident the latest example of why the region’s mountain lions deserve specific protections under the Endangered Species Act, something the state’s Fish and Game Commission will consider next month.
“It’s dangerous and frightening for mountain lions to navigate our roads and developments, especially for cubs like this one in Castaic,” Yap wrote in a statement. “These wide-ranging animals need room to roam and they need their habitat connected. … Mountain lions like this young kitten should get a proper chance to grow up and live healthy lives alongside us.”
