A Perilous Plight Near the Road (Image Credits: Oakland Zoo/Instagram)
El Dorado County, California – A three-month-old female mountain lion cub teetered on the edge of death when wildlife officials spotted her wandering alone near a rural road earlier this month. Severely emaciated and riddled with ticks, the tiny cougar weighed less than half her ideal body mass, prompting an urgent rescue operation.[1][2] Now named Clover, she received life-saving care at the Oakland Zoo, marking the facility’s 32nd such intervention for orphaned pumas.[3]
A Perilous Plight Near the Road
On March 6, 2026, a concerned report led the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to the scene in El Dorado County. The cub appeared weak and disoriented, showing clear signs of neglect without any visible injuries from trauma. Veterinarians noted her coat coloration and emerging teeth, confirming her young age of about three months.[1]
Initial assessments revealed severe dehydration, a heavy tick infestation, and gastrointestinal distress. Her condition demanded immediate action, as reunion with a mother seemed impossible given the roadside location and her dire state. Officials treated her on-site before transport, recognizing that young mountain lions typically require two years of maternal guidance to survive in the wild.[2]
Intensive Intervention at the Zoo’s Veterinary Hospital
Clover arrived at Oakland Zoo’s Veterinary Hospital in critical condition, where staff placed her in the intensive care unit for round-the-clock monitoring. Her anemia, exacerbated by malnutrition and possible parasites, necessitated a rare blood transfusion. Blood came from Briar, a resident adult cougar at the zoo who had been rescued from the same county in August 2024.[3][2]…