- Biologists found three mountain lion kittens in a patch of poison oak outdoors of Los Angeles.
- They had been solely 24 days outdated once they had been discovered on Might 18.
- Now, they need to survive in an more and more urbanized space of Southern California.
Biologists with the Nationwide Park Service found a litter of lately birthed mountain lion kittens within the Simi Hills, west of Los Angeles.
The kittens, now recognized as P-113, P-114, and P-115, had been found on Might 18 in a “dense patch of poison oak” between massive boulders close to a den website, based on a press launch from the NPS.
To seek out the kittens, the biologists needed to wait till the mom, P-77, left the location unattended to hunt for meals or relaxation.
Nationwide Park Service
Biologists decided that when the kittens had been found, they had been solely 24 days outdated.
“It is going to be attention-grabbing to learn the way these kittens will use the panorama as soon as they become old and disperse, significantly in the event that they resolve to remain within the Simi Hills or cross freeways to enter bigger pure areas.” Jeff Sikich, the lead subject biologist of the NPS mountain lion examine, stated within the launch.
Nationwide Park Service
The kittens are the third litter marked within the Simi Hills as part of a examine of mountain lions within the Santa Monica Mountains, which started in 2002. The NPS tracks the cats to find out how urbanization and habitat fragmentation have an effect on these animals’ lives.
Based on the primary findings of the NPS observations, mountain lions in Los Angeles County are considerably threatened by the event of roads and cities. A number one reason behind mountain lion deaths are automobile strikes, which regularly happen once they cross main freeways just like the 101, 405, and 118.
Nationwide Park Service
In December, Los Angeles misplaced one in every of its most iconic mountain lions, P-22, after he had been struck by a automobile.
Sikich instructed the Los Angeles Occasions that since March 2022, 15 mountain lions have died, many after being struck by automobiles. Nonetheless, Sikich stated the brand new kittens are an “encouraging” signal.
“It is encouraging to see replica in our small inhabitants of mountain lions, particularly after all of the mortalities we’ve documented within the final 12 months,” Sikich stated within the launch.
