Mountain lion — mom of two cubs — fatally hit on California highway, experts say

A 3-year-old mountain lion tending to her two cubs has died after being hit by a vehicle on Highway 74 in Southern California, experts reported.

The cougar, which had a tracking collar, was dubbed F390 by the California Carnivores Program, a University of California, Davis, program tracking mountain lions in the state.

The mountain lion was raising two cubs, a male and female, which are about 14 months old, the program said in a Sept. 5 post to Instagram.

“She had successfully crossed this busy highway many times before, but this time, traffic proved fatal,” the program said.

Her two cubs are still a few months from becoming independent under normal circumstances, the program said. It will try to track them and provide updates.

In response to a comment asking about finding or caring for the cubs, the program said it has a very small staff with limited funding.

“They are not collared so tracking them will be more challenging since their collared mother is now dead,” the program said.

The goal of the program is to provide transportation officials with information on mountain lion crossings for improved safety.

“Her loss is a stark reminder of the risks carnivores face as their habitats overlap with our roads and communities,” the program said.

Highway 74 runs from San Juan Capistrano in Orange County to Palm Desert in Riverside County.

This story was originally published September 17, 2025 at 2:57 PM with the headline "Mountain lion — mom of two cubs — fatally hit on California highway, experts say."