The injured mountain lion that wandered into a San Dimas neighborhood a week ago, sparking the temporary closure of a neighborhood street while it was safely captured, was euthanized because of the severity of its injuries, according to wildlife officials.
California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials said in a written statement that a veterinarian conducted further examination of the young cougar after its safe capture on Aug. 7 and determined it had a fracture of the right pelvis and lung bruises.
“Due to the severity of the injuries, the veterinarian recommended humane euthanasia, which was also supported by CDFW’s Wildlife Health Laboratory veterinarian,” wildlife officials said in the written statement.
The mountain lion, a young male believed to be between 1 and 3 years old, was put down that same day.
Wildlife officials could not determine the cause of the injuries but suspected that a vehicle may have struck the cougar, as collisions are among the leading causes of wildlife mortalities in L.A. County.
“[Fish and Wildlife] is committed to ensuring injured wildlife receive appropriate care and decisions regarding their welfare are based on veterinary assessments and the severity of their injuries,” the statement read.
The young mountain lion was spotted wandering along Foothill Boulevard between San Dimas Avenue and San Dimas Canyon Road in the morning, according to the San Dimas Sheriff’s Station.
The cougar was found lying on the sidewalk under the shade of a tree, where deputies set up a perimeter to keep vehicles and people away.
Wildlife officials said biologists responded to the location and conducted an assessment of the mountain lion after it was tranquilized.
Video footage showed deputies assisting wildlife officials as they carried the tranquilized animal to a brown cage to transport it out of the area.
The tragic ending of the young puma in San Dimas comes three months after a year-old female cougar and a 6-month-old male mountain lion were fatally struck by vehicles.
