(KRON) -- A mountain lion who was rescued as an orphaned cub and spent months at Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue center was released back into the wild, state officials announced Thursday.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife posted video of the mountain lion stepping out of an enclosure and bounding into a forest, enjoying her new freedom. (Watch CDFW's video above).
"This is why we do what we do! From an injured cub on the side of a highway to a successful return to the wild," CDFW wrote.
A mountain lion cub is safely captured in January 2026. (CDFW Photo)
When the cougar was still a tiny adorable cub in January, she was found injured and alone along a Southern California road in Castaic. The cub was flown from Los Angeles to Sonoma County, where she learned vital survival skills at the rescue center.
The California Department of Fish & Wildlife rescued this mountain lion cub in January 2026. (CDFW Photo)
By November, the mountain lion was big and old enough to survive on her own. Wildlife experts released the cougar into Los Padres National Forest in Ventura County.
"CDFW recently released the recovered cub into suitable habitat," state officials wrote.
