Birmingham residents will soon be able to visit the zoo’s newest pride and joy — Spruce, a mountain lion cub from California.

Spruce was rescued in Portola Valley, San Mateo County in January along with his siblings, Fern and Thistle, according to a release from the Birmingham Zoo.

The cubs have received care from Oakland Zoo’s Veterinary Hospital and animal care staff since then.

While the location of Fern and Thistle’s new homes has yet to be determined, the decision to relocate Spruce to Birmingham was made last month based on the personalities of both Spruce and his companion, a female rescue cub named Juniper.

“He [Spruce] and Juniper have already had positive interactions under the guidance of Birmingham Zoo and Oakland Zoo animal care professionals,” Chris Pfefferkorn, President and CEO of the Birmingham Zoo, said in the release.

“The cougar cubs, along with the two adult bobcats, live in a new facility designed to allow the cats to explore and exhibit natural behaviors.”

Oakland and Birmingham Zoo collaborated with FedEx to safely transport Spruce to Memphis, Tenn last week.

FedEx donated the transportation costs for Spruce as part of the company’s FedEx Cares “Delivering for Good” initiative, the release says.

Over the past month, the animal care staff at Oakland Zoo have used positive reinforcement training with Spruce to help him become comfortable with the crate he would travel in.

The keepers at Oakland Zoo reported to the Birmingham Zoo that he did an amazing job shifting into the crate for his early morning flight last Friday.

From there, he traveled over three hours by car to his new home.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) believes the mother of Fern, Thistle, and Spruce was the same female lion hit by a car on Portola Valley Road about 0.3 miles from where the three cubs were found.

While there were many witnesses of the mountain lion after it was hit, the carcass has since disappeared and is still being investigated, according to the release.

“We are excited that a wonderful home has been found for Spruce,” Nik Dehejia, CEO of Oakland Zoo, said in the release.

“Though we are quick to respond when called into action, we hope measures will be implemented to prevent Oakland Zoo from needing to rescue these animals so often in the future.”

“Coexistence is essential for the survival of this species,” he continued.

Spruce and Juniper will remain in their night house as they acclimate to their new surroundings, according to the release.

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.

“Guests will learn about these amazing animals and their species, and we look forward to watching them thrive together at the Birmingham Zoo,” Pfefferkorn said.

The release added that Birmingham and Oakland Zoo will update their followers on social media when that occurs.

For more information on Spruce and Juniper, visit the Birmingham Zoo website.