Two orphaned mountain lion cubs have a new home at the Denver Zoo.
One was found when she was 6 weeks old, wandering along a highway in Washington state. Her name is Cassy, and she is now 3 months old and weighs 22 pounds.
The other cub was 2 months old when he was found in South Dakota. Two months later, he now weighs more than 40 pounds and goes by the name Dakota.
“Our preference is that these two young cubs would have grown up in the wild. However, without their mothers, their survival in the wild was highly unlikely,” Denver Zoo president and chief executive Craig Piper said in a news release. “We are happy we can provide good homes for these two cats and offer our visitors a chance to see these amazing animals.”
Both cubs came to the zoo’s nursery in December, after the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Mountain Lion Population Management Group asked the zoo for help.
Both cubs passed their first “baby-wellness exams” with flying colors, the zoo said.
Cassy and Dakota have adjusted well to their new home and can be seen playing in their outdoor yard on the south side of the Denver Zoo.
