He was just a young cub when he and his mother were struck by a car Christmas morning 2020. Tragically his mother died instantly, leaving Nicholas not only an orphan, but a severely injured one at that.

Thankfully he received immediate medical care at a local animal hospital, where it was revealed Nicholas suffered pelvic fractures and blunt force trauma. The fact that Nicholas was alive was nothing short of a miracle.

But he wasn’t out of the woods yet as he was facing multiple reconstructive surgeries and a painful recovery. Over the next few months, it became apparent that due to the extent of Nicholas’s injuries and ongoing needs, he would never roam the Southern California mountains again. If that weren’t heartbreaking enough, the facility where Nicholas was being cared for closed. It seemed his future was more uncertain than ever.

When we learned of Nicholas’s plight, we worked tirelessly—even during a snowstorm—to reach Nicholas, bring him back here to Lions Tigers & Bears sanctuary, and give him a new future—one that looks as close as possible to what was stolen from him that Christmas morning.

Nicholas was transported and settled in at LTB, we noticed he did not enjoy strangers and excessive movement and he developed some anxiety. To ensure his well-being, he will not participate in public visits at the sanctuary. We decided he will need a new habitat away from people and with less noise from his neighbors.