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Portola Valley’s roaring passion for mountain lions brought forth a visit from the Oakland Zoo on March 20. Nearly 200 residents gathered in Community Hall for an educational event to learn more about the zoo’s mountain lion rescue and conservation program.
In late January, Portola Valley residents rallied to save three orphaned cubs after they reported a dead female mountain lion that was thought to be a mother on Portola Road weeks before. With the help of the community, the cubs were found hiding under a resident’s truck and were rescued by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District and California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The cubs were transported to the Oakland Zoo for rehabilitation.
“This level of community effort from such a small town is unique,” said Isabella Linares, a marketing manager at the zoo. “They are modeling community action of conservation and coexistence.”
The event was cosponsored by the Westridge Garden Club of Portola Valley and Portola Valley Conversation Committee, said Sandy Welch, one of the residents who organized the event. “It truly took a village,” she added.
The discussion involved Oakland Zoo Vice President of Veterinary Services Dr. Alex Herman, Vice President of Conservation Amy Gotliffe and CEO Nik Dehajia.
Update on the cubs
Three Portola Valley mountain lion cubs were rescued and transported to the Oakland Zoo for rehabilitation on Jan. 26, 2025. Courtesy Oakland Zoo. 
Three Portola Valley mountain lion cubs were rescued and transported to the Oakland Zoo for rehabilitation on Jan. 26, 2025. Courtesy Oakland Zoo. 
A rescued mountain lion club snarls. Courtesy Oakland Zoo.
The rescued cubs Fern, Thistle and Spruce, have captured the hearts of the community. Since their rescue, some residents have taken personal trips to the Oakland Zoo’s veterinary hospital to receive updates on the cubs.
According to Herman, the cubs were about three to 4 months old when they were rescued. She reported that they were all thin and very dehydrated.
“Kudos to all the people in your community that worked so diligently to find them,” she said. “I do believe very strongly, if it had been another week or two, we wouldn’t have been able to save them.”
All three of the cubs were diagnosed with giardia, an intestinal infection that is spread through contaminated water, food, feces and other surfaces. Fern, however, struggled the most with recovery and developed a mild case of pneumonia as well. With treatments and antibiotics, she has recovered, said Herman.
The zoo staff have noticed that each cub has its own personality, as mountain lions usually exhibit individualistic traits, she added.
Spruce is very vocal, doesn’t like to share and has very distinctive blue eyes. Thistle is described as an “easy going guy,” who’s curious and loves to be the first to check on anything new, Herman said.
Fern is more shy, aloof and is a little behind in behavioral development compared to her brothers, she explained. Herman said this is probably due to her being handled the most for medical treatments.
It was announced from the time of the cubs rescue that the trio would not be staying at the Oakland Zoo and plans were underway for them to relocate to a forever home.
Herman was happy to announce that in early April, Spruce will be moving to the Birmingham Zoo in Alabama where he will join another orphaned lion from Montana. Although the zoo is still not sure about where Fern and Thistle will go, it’s certain that they will stay together, she said.
Co-existing with mountain lions
The Portola Valley community was applauded by zoo executives for modeling co-existence between humans and wildlife.
Mountain lions can be seen across various terrains in California — deserts, mountains, forests and by rivers. But because they live in different habitats, they are at higher risk of death by human-wildlife conflict.
According to Gotliffe, the most common causes of death in lions are car strikes, poison and illegal killings. She described co-existence between humans and wildlife as a complex science and social science.
Wildlife experts are tracking animals, understanding their paths and planning locations to build fences and overcrossings. They’re also looking into the people, their culture and past times. The relationship between wildlife and people is complicated and involves a lot of communication and connection, Gotliffe said.
In 2012, multiple wildlife organizations gathered for a week at the Center for Conservation Peacebuilding in Washington D.C. to dive into how different groups can work together to better protect mountain lions. Through this meeting, the Bay Area Cougar Action Team was formed and the organization passed Senate Bill 132, which required nonlethal procedures to be used when removing any lion that is not an imminent threat to the public.
The bill allowed for other organizations outside of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to help with any mountain lion related incidents.
Community support
The Portola Valley community had donated nearly $70,000 to the facility, with one donor who contributed $25,000, said Oakland Zoo CEO Nik Dehajia, who thanked the residents for their support of the zoo’s conservation programs.
The Oakland Zoo operates with an annual budget of $31 million and about 400 staff members. Dehajia said he hopes to reach 100 donors from the town as the zoo is always trying to find ways to support its programs and conservation work.
For more information about Oakland Zoo’s mountain lion conservation program visit oaklandzoo.org/wildlife-conservation/mountain-lions. The community can also keep an eye on the rescued lions through the zoo’s livestream camera by visiting oaklandzoo.org/webcams.
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