A firefighter battling the Zogg Fire in Northern California rescued an orphaned mountain lion cub that had been severely burned.
The male cub weighs less than 4 pounds and is between 4 to 6 weeks old. He is being cared for at the Oakland Zoo. The zoo said it had named the cub Captain Cal after the mascot for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. He is being treated for burns on his feet.
“He’s been eating & looks much better than he did when he arrived,” the zoo said.
Mountain lion cubs stay with their mothers until they are about two years old in order to learn how to survive in the wild, according to the zoo. Because Captain Cal was orphaned at such a young age, he will be moved to a “suitable forever home” after he leaves the zoo’s hospital, the press release stated.
The Zogg Fire has burned more than 56,300 acres and destroyed 179 structures since it started Sunday in Shasta County. Four people have been killed in the fire that is 57 percent contained
