(NewsNation) — A mountain lion cub named Spruce was rescued by California’s Oakland Zoo and went to his new home at Alabama’s Birmingham Zoo where he met his new companion, another rescued cub named Juniper.
In a news release, the zoo said the decision to pair the two cubs together was based on their personalities. Spruce was rescued in January with his siblings Fern and Thistle in California, while Juniper was rescued by a farmer in Montana in December.
Mountain lions in California face threats like getting hit by cars and wildfires, all factors the Birmingham Zoo says contribute to the human-wildlife conflict. A study done in November found that mountain lions in the state have adapted to human schedules.
Before being placed together, the two cubs were observed cuddling, playing, chirping (a form of communication), and getting to know one another.
“They will remain in their nighthouse as they acclimate to their new surroundings,” the zoo said. “Once they have settled, they will move into the full Birmingham Zoo’s Wojciechowski Cougar Crossing Habitat, which opened to the public on March 19th.”