Mountain lion cub on the mend after being found alone in Castaic

The injured mountain lion cub, found alone in the middle of a roadway in Castaic last month, is recovering well before being released back into the wild, a nonprofit conservation group said Sunday.

The animal was seen lying near the centerline of Hillcrest Parkway near Olympic Street on Jan. 21, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) said.

After veterinarians took care of the female cub, which was found underweight with a small injury to the paw, she was flown to a wildlife rescue organization in Sonoma County, the Mountain Lion Foundation shared on social media Sunday. Luckily, the cub had no broken bones or signs of trauma.

“The good news: veterinarians report she’s in stable condition — just a small cut on one paw and slightly underweight, with no broken bones or major trauma,” the foundation said.

State biologists initially tried to locate the cub’s mother and reunite them, but they were not able to find any female, adult mountain lion in the area. The conservation group said there was only a solitary adult male found in the same region.

Now experts believe the animal, estimated to be about 4 to 5 months old, will be best rehabilitated as it grows up with another cub until she’s old enough to return to the wild, according to the Mountain Lion Foundation.

There are about 4,000 to 6,000 mountain lions in California, but wildlife officials call that a crude estimate without an ongoing statewide study. More than half of the state is considered prime habitat for the big cats, which can be found wherever deer are present.