Mountain lion hit by car last Thanksgiving released in Ventura County

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A mountain lion cub that was hit by a car late last year has been released in Ventura County, officials announced Monday.

The then-5-month-old was brought to the rehab center at the San Diego Humane Society's Ramona campus Thanksgiving Day. According to SDHS, he had presumably been hit by a vehicle the night before Thanksgiving and found on the side of a road in Simi Valley. Local animal services alerted Fish and Wildlife, which transported the cub to Santa Clarita, where veterinarians provided initial medical support.

When he arrived at San Diego Humane Society, x-rays found a fractured hind leg. He was also treated for dehydration, malnourishment and the veterinary team repaired the animal's left tibia, using a metal plate and 10 screws to realign the bones, a statement from the humane society read.

Vets then performed a second surgery to revise the placement of the screws. The cub needed additional time to recover but was able to move to an outdoor enclosure for continued rehabilitation in mid-December. In January, veterinarians confirmed the fracture was healing well.

According to the organization, it was crucial for the cub to be fully recovered before his release, as mountain lions are apex predators.

California Fish and Wildlife released him back into the wild on June 26 with a satellite GPS collar.

CNS contributed to this report.