Orphaned mountain lion cubs find home in Scottsdale

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A pair of orphaned and injured mountain lion cubs from California are starting new lives at a Scottsdale wildlife sanctuary.

Cypress and her brother, Ash, arrived at the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center near Dynamite Road and Rio Verde Drive Monday afternoon.

The California Department of Fish and Game captured the cubs near San Jose in late January. They were estimated to be about 12 weeks old at the time.

Their mother had died and the female cub was in especially bad shape, according to officials. She had bite wounds to her back right hamstring and several broken teeth. She was emaciated, weak and covered with fleas and ticks. It was later discovered that she had two broken legs and a broken jaw.

An employee of the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary in Folsom, Calif., provided round-the-clock care at her home to the cubs. Both are doing well now.

The siblings were flown to Scottsdale and transported to the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center, the only facility that could give the cubs a home together.

The cubs, which can grow to more than 100 pounds as adults, will eventually live in a large enclosure with other mountain lions at the sanctuary.

http://www.azfamily.com/news/Orphaned-mountain-lion-cubs-find-home-in-Scottsdale-140727903.html