A young mountain lion was removed from a residence by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. (Courtesy photo)

WALSENBURG — Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials removed a mountain lion kitten from a private home Tuesday in Walsenburg, a small town south of Pueblo, according to a news release. 

The people who had the kitten fed it bratwurst and posted photos on social media Monday. They said they found it in a snowbank and brought it inside to “thaw out,” according to the release.

“Wild animals do not need to ‘thaw out’ because they are equipped by nature to survive cold and snow,” Parks and Wildlife District Wildlife Manager Travis Sauder was quoted as saying in the release. “When we do have orphaned wildlife, it’s important we get them to licensed rehabilitators who specialize in raising these wild animals, who know what to feed them and how to care for them so we can successfully release them back into the wild once they mature.”

Sauder took the kitten, which is estimated to be younger than six months old, to Wet Mountain Wildlife Rehabilitation and said it was in good health other than being sick from the bratwurst.

He used the incident to remind the public that it is illegal to keep wild animals.

“If you find wildlife you believe to be orphaned, leave the area immediately and call” Parks and Wildlife, Sauder said in the release. “By leaving the area, mom will feel safe to come back and retrieve her young.