Three mountain lion cubs hiding under a car were rescued and taken to Oakland Zoo, where they received treatment. The mountain lion presumed to be their mother was found dead less than half a mile away.

The three rescued cubs were relatively healthy but thin after it was determined the mother was absent for about two weeks before their rescue, zoo officials said.

Authorities believe their mother was hit and killed by a vehicle in the Portola Valley area of San Mateo County in the San Francisco Bay Area, zoo officials said. The mountain lion carcass has since vanished, so they can’t confirm her relationship to the cubs through DNA.

A trio of orphaned mountain lion cubs was rescued in Portola Valley and brought to Oakland Zoo for rehabilitation.