another starving cub

[Emily]

this one in CA. no houndsmen implicated.

http://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_8017785

Prognosis poor for sick mountain lion kitten
By JENN KLEIN - Staff Writer
Article Launched: 01/19/2008 12:14:49 AM PST

Click photo to enlarge

This 20-pound mountain lion kitten is being cared for at the State Department of Fish and Game's...
A happy ending remains uncertain for a sick mountain lion kitten removed from lower Bidwell Park.
Henry Lomeli, a biologist with the California Department of Fish and Game, said the 20-pound kitten taken out of the park Thursday was starving, suffering from hypothermia, and on the verge of death. The 10-month-old feline likely would not have survived the weekend if wildlife officials had not interceded, he said.

The cat is now in the care of veterinarians in fish and game's Rancho Cordova center.

"That little kitten right now is fighting for its life and we're doing everything we can to try and save it," Lomeli said.

Dr. Pamela Swift, the fish and game veterinarian now in charge of the animal, gave the young mountain lion a poor prognosis Friday afternoon and said the next day or two will be critical. She said the animal could still make it but was still not interested in eating Friday afternoon, which she said was not a good sign.

Lomeli said at 10 months old, the kitten should have weighed between 50 to 60 pounds and would normally still have been with her mother. He said it's unknown what happened to the mother, only that she was not in the life of the kitten, who was trying to survive on her own.

"She was doing her best to make a living and was failing miserably," he said.

Park Ranger Bob Donahue said a search for the mountain lion mother in Bidwell Park turned up empty.

"We have no sign of mom in the park and we've done some looking because we didn't

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want to have another one loose in the park," Donahue said.
He stressed the park was not dangerous and said park rangers closely monitor it for mountain lion and other wildlife activity. It's been 15 to 20 years since there has been sightings of mountain lions in lower Bidwell Park, he said.

Donahue said the cat is the same one residents first spotted on Jan. 12. A foot patrol search of a cordoned-off area turned up empty that day, but on Thursday state wildlife officials were able to tranquilize the animal.

Lomeli said he suspects the poor condition of the cat Thursday was why officials were able to spot her, because he said starving animals are often stumbling, and don't have interest in running.

The kitten had no body fat, very little muscle tissue, and was "essentially a skeleton with skin and hair," Lomeli said. The biologist said because of that she was unable to keep her body temperature up and probably would have frozen to death Friday or Saturday night.

After officials tranquilized the cat, Lomeli was concerned the stress of both a capture and a move might be too much for the invalid creature. Instead of going straight to Rancho Cordova, the kitten went to Evers Veterinary Clinic off of Highway 32, where Dr. Anne Ripke and her staff helped stabilize the animal with antibiotics and intravenous fluids and treated her for shock.

"If it wasn't for them and their quick actions the cub probably would not have survived the night," Lomeli said.

Friday she was transferred to Rancho Cordova around 11 a.m.

Swift said as well as starvation, it's possible the animal could have some sort of disease.

She said fish and game is keeping her in a heated den with easily digestible food and trying to keep her away from stress, as she was pretty agitated when she first came in.

Lomeli said before fish and game can even think about re-releasing the cat into the wild, it has its work cut out in making sure she even survives.

"We're all rooting for her," Lomeli said. "We hopes she makes it."


Staff writer Jenn Klein can be reached at 896-7767 or jklein@chicoer.com.

[Spanky]

so go figure where there is no hound season for lions they do what they can to save its life and yet where there is a season they euthinize the 3