Two mountain lions with a heartbreaking story become internet stars!
Oakland, California - Two young cougars who lost their mother have settled into their adoptive home at California's Oakland Zoo and become internet famous thanks to their cuteness!
Cats, both domestic and wild, are known for their curiosity. Mountain lion cubs Willow and Maple are no exception.
These two cubs' first playdate with a tub of water is adorable, as a video posted by Oakland Zoo on X, formerly Twitter, shows.
The baby cougars clumsily and cautiously approach the water to rescue their toy. After one cub retrieves their plaything, the other investigates the water by pawing at it.
Clips like these show the incredible development these two cubs have undergone since they were rescued in November 2023.
These adorable mountain lions almost died of dehydration
The two baby mountain lions were orphaned after their mother was hit and killed by a car on a busy road in November 2023. Animal rescuers found the cubs a few days later in dire condition.
When they were rescued the two female cats were between six and ten weeks old and weighed just four and a half pounds. They'd almost died of dehydration.
After spending eight weeks in the zoo's intensive care unit, Willow and Maple transformed from sick little cubs to exuberant ones.
Per Oakland Zoo, mountain lions normally spend their first two years with their mother. These two cubs sadly didn't get to learn from their mother and will never return to the wild as they lack the skills to survive.
That said, Willow and Maple have a good chance of becoming the Oakland Zoo's resident social media stars.
Cute videos of the cubs playing and learning regularly boast thousands of views!
Cover photo: Collage: Screenshot/Facebook/Oakland Zoo & Screenshot/X/@oakzoo