Lifestyle Pets 3 Orphaned Mountain Lion Cubs Find New Home at San Diego Zoo After Week-Long Rescue The mammals were approximately 6 weeks old at the time of their rescue By Nicholas Rice Nicholas Rice Nicholas Rice is a Senior Editor for PEOPLE Magazine. He began working with the brand as an Editorial Intern in early 2020, before later transitioning to a freelance role, and then staff positions soon after. Nicholas writes and edits anywhere between 7 to 9 stories per day on average for PEOPLE, spanning across each vertical the brand covers. People Editorial Guidelines Updated on December 18, 2023 01:19PM EST Three orphaned mountain lion cubs have found a new home at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Earlier this month, members of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, the University of California's Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife rescued the animals, according to a press release shared with PEOPLE. Using data obtained from a GPS collar worn by the cubs' mother, the organizations were able to determine where to search for the animals, the release said. On the first day of searching, team members from the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center found the first cub hiding in a hole, and the second was found that same day between two rocks. Three days later, researchers found the third baby in chaparral. After continuing their search for several more days, the groups, as well as remote trail cameras, found no evidence of other cubs, and rescuers suspended their search. Per the release, each cub was found within 250 feet of each other, and they likely would not have survived more than one week on their own, given their young age. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Ken Bohn/San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Oakland Zoo Welcomes 2 Orphaned Female Mountain Lion Cubs — See the New Additions! After they were rescued, the three baby mountain lions were reunited at the Paul Harter Veterinary Medical Center, where they were "nursed back to full health," per the release. The cubs were approximately 6 weeks old at the time of their rescue, and because they were orphaned at an early age, the release added they could not be safely reintroduced into their native habitat. Orphaned lion cub being rescued. Charlie de la Rosa/San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance “Mountain lions are a keystone species right here in our own backyard," Lisa Peterson, the executive director of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, said in a statement. “It’s been a privilege to nurse these youngsters back to full health, and we now have the honor of caring for them long-term." "While our research teams and our conservation partners continue their mountain lion work in the field, the Safari Park will be a refuge for these three cubs offering them native landscapes and new opportunities to thrive, while sharing the importance of coexistence among wildlife with our guests," she added. Mountain lions, which are also known as cougars, pumas or panthers, can be found across the globe, from Canada to South America, according to the National Wildlife Federation. The mammals, per the organization, are currently threatened.