Cougars Content

Humans Are Leading Source of Death for California Mountain Lions, Despite Hunting Protections

Katherine E Kerlin — March 20, 2023 - 10:17am

Humans are the leading source of death for California mountain lions, despite hunting protections, finds a study of the state's lions from University of Nebraska, 51�ԹϺ�� Davis and other California researchers.

Local Extinction of Southern California Mountain Lions Possible Within 50 Years

Katherine E Kerlin — March 20, 2019 - 11:06am

Two isolated mountain lion populations in Southern California’s Santa Ana and Santa Monica Mountains are at risk of local extinction, perhaps as soon as within 50 years, according to a study published in the journal Ecological Applications.

Southern California Mountain Lions’ Genetic Connectivity Dangerously Low

Katherine E Kerlin — June 14, 2017 - 11:00am

If a dangerously inbred puma population in Southern California is to survive in the future, an urgent need for genetic connectivity must be met, according to two scientific papers from a team of researchers coordinated by the University of California, Davis, and involving scientists at the University of Wyoming and the University of Massachusetts–Amherst.

A lion tale: Humans cause most mountain lion deaths in Southern California

IET WebDev — July 15, 2015 - 11:30am

The biggest threat to Southern California mountain lions is us, confirms a comprehensive 13-year study of the population’s mortality and survival from the University of California, Davis.

A highway runs through it: Mountain lions in southern California face genetic decay

IET WebDev — October 08, 2014 - 11:01am

Cut off by freeways and human development, mountain lions in Southern California are facing a severe loss of genetic diversity, according to a new study led by the University of California, Davis, in partnership with The Nature Conservancy.

The study, published today in the journal PLOS ONE, represents the largest genetic sampling of mountain lions, or pumas, in Southern California. It raises concerns about the current status of mountain lions in the Santa Ana and Santa Monica mountains, as well as the longer-term outlook for mountain lions across Southern California.