Mountain lion burned in California's Thomas Fire gets Sonoma County home

PETALUMA, Calif. (KGO) -- A Mountain Lion cub now has a new home in Sonoma County after he was badly burned in a Southern California wildfire.

Charlie suffered burns to all four of his paws during the Thomas Fire in December.

Veterinarians covered his feet with sterile tilapia skins to help them heal.

VIDEO: Mountain lion burned in Thomas Fire gets fish skin bandage

Veterinarians are using an unusual technique involving tilapia skin to help a young mountain lion recover from burns he sustained in the Thomas Fire.

Charlie is now six months old.

Wildlife experts say it's too dangerous to release him back into the wild.

"We didn't feel that was the responsible thing to do in this situation. We knew that we could treat him and manage his pain," said Jaime Rudd with the California Department of Fish & Wildlife.

Charlie now lives in a pen next to a young female.

Someday they'll share the same habitat at Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue.