P-19 & 15-Month-Old Kittens, merkitsijänä Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
New photos of P-19 and her two nearly-grown kittens, P-32 and P-33, feeding on a deer carcass (WARNING: graphic photos). Kittens normally stay with their mother until they are about one to one and a half years old. One of the siblings, P-34, had already dispersed and it appears that these kittens may have also left their mom since the photos were taken in mid-February.
This is P-19’s second litter and we’ve been tracking all three kittens since they were four weeks old. Since we started studying these animals in 2002, we have not tracked any male mountain lions that have successfully dispersed out of the Santa Monica Mountains. Photos taken via remote camera on the western end of the Santa Monica Mountains, near the L.A. and Ventura County line. –Ranger Kate
New photos of P-19 and her two nearly-grown kittens, P-32 and P-33, feeding on a deer carcass (WARNING: graphic photos). Kittens normally stay with their mother until they are about one to one and a half years old. One of the siblings, P-34, had already dispersed and it appears that these kittens may have also left their mom since the photos were taken in mid-February.
This is P-19’s second litter and we’ve been tracking all three kittens since they were four weeks old. Since we started studying these animals in 2002, we have not tracked any male mountain lions that have successfully dispersed out of the Santa Monica Mountains. Photos taken via remote camera on the western end of the Santa Monica Mountains, near the L.A. and Ventura County line. –Ranger Kate
1 439 tykkäystä106 kommenttia
National Park Service ja 1 438 muuta tykkäävät tästä.
Laura Newcomb
What part of park were these pictures taken in? Roughly Do these cats tend to stay in a certain area of the park?
9 vIlmianna
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
Laura, these photos were taken in a natural area of the park, more on the western end of the mountains and close to the L.A./Ventura County line. It's amazing how much ground these animals cover. The first lion we tracked, way back in 2002, actually used the entirety of the Santa Monica Mountains as his territory. Based on more than a decade of GPS data points, they have a strong preference for the most natural and remote areas of the Santa Monica Mountains! -Ranger Kate
9 vIlmianna
Susan Cleary
Why haven't any males disbursed?
9 vIlmianna
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
Surf Poppy, mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains are basically trapped on an island of habitat. They're hemmed in by the 405 and 101 Freeways, as well as the Pacific Ocean and the Oxnard agricultural plain. Thanks for your question! -Ranger Kate
9 vIlmianna
Tyeforo Zeugma
Hey Ranger Kate. I sent this picture to your boss(edit: Not your boss, colleague 
) but maybe the community here would appreciate it as well. Caught a mountain lion on my trail camera last month in an area of the western Santa Monica Mountains. I don't think it is one of the three in your set, as there is no collar, unless it is possibly the female. Seems possible at least if there are only, as you say, a few dozen and they're all accounted for otherwise. Anyway, Enjoy.
) but maybe the community here would appreciate it as well. Caught a mountain lion on my trail camera last month in an area of the western Santa Monica Mountains. I don't think it is one of the three in your set, as there is no collar, unless it is possibly the female. Seems possible at least if there are only, as you say, a few dozen and they're all accounted for otherwise. Anyway, Enjoy.9 vIlmianna
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
Thanks for sharing! Can you tell me the first name of the person you sent it to? Just want to make sure it went to the right person. Thanks! -Ranger Kate
9 vIlmianna
Drew Ready
Hey there Ranger Kate. Can you she the make and model of your remote camera? I have a backyard project I am working and need high quality flash and good resolution.
9 vIlmianna
John Hill
any chance they will build a wildlife corridor?
9 vIlmianna
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
John, we certainly hope so! We're one of many partners involved in trying to make that happen -- we support the effort as subject matter experts with regards to the wildlife issues, but as a federal agency we cannot lobby or advocate for funding. There are an assortment of other groups that are working on this issue. A good place to start is our official friends group, the Santa Monica Mountains Fund, www.samofund.or
9 vIlmianna
Jayne Donovan Staley
Was this deer killed by the cats or did parks deposit a fresh carcass right by the camera to get these photos?
9 vIlmianna
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
Hi Jayne, the deer was killed by the mountain lions and our biologist hiked in to the kill site during the day when the lions were away. -Ranger Kate
9 vIlmianna
Joyce Higgins
Ranger Kate, would be able to find out why the Mountain Lion caught in Temecula died during transport? I don't understand this if they only tranquilized it.
9 vIlmianna
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
Hi Joyce, the only thing I know about that situation is what I've read in news reports, but I imagine that the CA Dept of Fish & Wildlife will be looking into it further and hopefully we'll all be able to learn more about what happened. -Ranger Kate
8 vIlmianna
Chris Sullivan
Wow, did you get some new better quality cameras? These are great
9 vIlmianna
Scott Bowman
Is it possible to bring other mountain lions in to the Santa Monicas to increase the diversity?
9 vIlmianna
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
Scott, bringing other mountain lions in would be a last resort measure. The problem (at this point) isn't so much that there are a shortage of animals, but rather that the inability to move around to larger territories (and for younger animals to disperse) means that only or two males dominate all the breeding opportunities. Thanks for your question! -Ranger Kate
9 vIlmianna
Eric Schauwecker
Where exactly were they sighted?
9 vIlmianna
Greg Anderson
Hi, Ranger Kate, good job!
From very long time Yerba Buena residents
Greg Anderson, and Bud & Lee Anderson
From very long time Yerba Buena residents
Greg Anderson, and Bud & Lee Anderson
9 vIlmianna
Kathleen Colman
May they live well and long and prosper!
May we be successful in our efforts to share our environment with them! 🐾
May we be successful in our efforts to share our environment with them! 🐾
9 vIlmianna
Emma Sutherland
Heartwarming to know this crew is thriving. Thank you so much for these photos.
9 vIlmianna
Beth Katte
I can't get over how beautiful these photos are! We are so lucky to live near these animals, now let's do everything we can to protect them.
9 vIlmianna
Janna Williams
Thanks Ranger Kate for sharing the photos and the educational tidbits of info.
9 vIlmianna
Andrea Ross Armstrong
Does the camera flash? It appears they were posing and curious about the camera.
9 vIlmianna
Dawn Warren Flann
This species of Cat to me is one of the most beautiful 
...It saddens me that they are looked upon as a nuisance in so many states.. I pray this species can be saved before it is too late......x
...It saddens me that they are looked upon as a nuisance in so many states.. I pray this species can be saved before it is too late......x9 vIlmianna
Shannon Moore
Beautiful cats. Humans need to learn how to live with wildlife. if you live in the area where mountain lions live learn to coexist with them.
9 vIlmianna
