Two orphaned mountain lion kittens recently took refuge behind hay bales in a barn in Meadows near McCall, much to the surprise of the property owners and their horses, according to a Fish and Game press release.
Too small to make it on their own, and after several weeks of becoming habituated to and fed by humans, Fish and Game decided that a captive facility would be the best option for these naïve youngsters.
It took some time to find a facility that would take them both, but space was ultimately secured at Elmwood Park Zoo in Pennsylvania.
With a new home waiting, Fish and Game wildlife biologists and conservation officers from McCall put in motion a two-step plan.
First, baited live-traps were set in the barn overnight in hopes the kittens would investigate the food and catch themselves. This approach succeeded on the second night.
Then the kittens were transferred from the live-traps to large crates for safe transport. After a stop at the Wildlife Health Lab in Nampa for a full physical exam, the brother-sister kittens were Pennsylvania-bound.
