An 11-month-old female mountain lion that spent five months in rehabilitation at Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue in Petaluma is back in the wild after state biologists returned her to a remote Northern California habitat yesterday. The juvenile, originally captured near the town of Weed last November, spent weeks recovering at the Petaluma facility before staff cleared her for release. Early reports from wildlife biologists and rehab staff say she is moving and hunting on her own.
Details of the Release
Before heading back into the hills, the young cat was fitted with an ear tag, microchip and GPS collar, according to a video posted by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Officials noted that the 11-month-old female had lost part of her tail after trauma during capture and captivity. Veterinarians and wildlife biologists said the shortened tail does not appear to be a significant handicap, and that the lion showed she could hunt and fend for herself both before capture and during her time in…..