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There are not as many mountain lions in certain parts of the United States as there used to be. In captivity, they can live to be about 20 years old. The lifespan of the mountain lion is between 8 and 13 years.Female mountain lions weigh a little less than that. On average, male mountain lions weigh between 110 and 220 pounds.The kittens remain with their mothers until they are about 2 years old. Female mountain lions typically give birth to two to four kittens at a time.The mountain lion is North America’s largest wildcat.Mountain lions typically eat deer, raccoons, porcupines, beavers, and other small mammals.They also hunt alone, usually attacking their predator from behind. Mountain lions are shy and live alone.Mountain lions are sometimes called pumas, catamounts, or cougars. They are one of the big cats, which means they have the ability to roar. In a year or so, he hopes to cross paths with these cats again, capturing and collaring them before they disperse as new "dots" he can check in on every morning.Mountain lions are members of the cat family. "They face so many challenges, both natural but also human-caused."Ĭhallenges includes rat poison, highways and encounters with territorial adult males, to name a few.įor now, Sikich will watch from afar. "It's good to have some, you know, good news, especially with our lions in the Santa Monica's," he said.
![baby mountain lion baby mountain lion](http://www.wildlife-animals.com/photo-gallery/zebra-15.jpg)
He says that finding so many dens in such a short amount of time is amazing. Sikich then returns them to the den and sometimes, when it's possible, he leaves behind a covert camera so researchers can watch the kittens grow. The kittens are brought to the workup site to be examined and tagged. “They den in areas that are extremely thick, real thick brush," he said, explaining that he often finds himself on the ground for hours, crawling on his hands and knees through poison oak. That's when other researchers hike to about 50 meters from where they think the den may be, and then one of them - usually Sikich - starts the real search. A few members use telemetry to keep tabs on the mom, making sure she’s out of the way - "hunting or feeding on a kill, or just taking a break from the kittens," Sikich said.
![baby mountain lion baby mountain lion](https://t1.thpservices.com/previewimage/gallil/bbb7aa289dc59dee901bbf8ffcdad6f3/k29-884525.jpg)
"Once I saw that female start to exhibit denning behavior - you know, staying in one spot - then I knew, OK, there’s probably a den there.”įinding it in-person takes a team. “I circled 90 days on my calendar from that point because that’s the gestation period for a mountain lion," said Sikich. Mountain Lions Face Uncertain Future With Temporary Protected Status.LA Hunter Under Scrutiny After Killing an Elephant.LA Zoo Reopens, Visitors Must Follow Coronavirus Precautions.Family of Bobcats Grows Up in Suburban Backyard.Mountain lions are solitary animals, so it's always a good sign when he spots a male and a female traveling together for a couple of days. Claim: A video of a u201cstalkingu201d mountain lion that went viral in October 2020 showed a mother lioness protecting her cubs after a hiker came across her den in Utah. By tracking the GPS collars of adult lions, he starts to notice patterns. The search for a den starts with dots and data. Sikich is excited to welcome the new faces, but getting to cuddle the kittens is the result of a lot of detailed work. That's because the Santa Monica Mountains have some of the lowest genetic diversity ever recorded, a threat to their future survival in the region. "That’s what our population is really needing." “It’s likely that he brought new genetic material in, which is definitely positive," he explained. Sikich also believes that at least three of the five litters were fathered by P-63, an adult male who migrated from north of the freeway to the south side of the 101. "So it just eliminated habitat for most animals, at least in the near term." "It was such an intense fire, it just scorched the earth," he said. For one thing, having so many dens after the Woolsey Fire is a welcome surprise. Sikich said the discovery of five litters is great news for a number of reasons.
![baby mountain lion baby mountain lion](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/R6049X/portrait-baby-cougar-mountain-lion-or-puma-R6049X.jpg)
It’s super interesting to look on a map and see where they are going." “So first thing I do when I wake up is I look at the mountain lions," he said. He says it's the best job in the world, and he's clearly devoted to it. Jeff Sikich, a wildlife biologist with the National Park Service, started his job in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in 2002, the very year the service began their long term study of mountain lions.