An orphaned mountain lion cub rescued from California's devastating Zogg Fire is recovering from burn injuries it suffered during the blaze.
The cub, which is believed to be only three or four weeks old, was found by a firefighter in Shasta County on Sunday, the Oakland Zoo said. His whiskers were singed off and his paws badly burned.
The animal was then taken to the Oakland facility after being transferred to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, which is reportedly inundated with creatures displaced by the state's unprecedented fires.
"It's a miracle that he's alive," CNN quoted Erin Harrison of the Oakland Zoo as saying.
The Zoo's staff have since taken X-rays of the cub to check for any broken bones and assess whether his lungs were damaged from smoke inhalation, both of which returned clear.
The Oakland facility will now work with the UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital to treat the cub's burn wounds.
He is currently being given pain medication, antibiotics and fluids, and vets say they are "cautiously optimistic" he'll make a full recovery.
In the wild, mountain lion cubs typically remain with their mothers for about two years as they learn how to hunt and survive alone.
However, because the rescued cub is orphaned, he will not be released back into the wild and will instead most likely be placed at an accredited zoo, Harrison said.
