“Mountain Lions in Greater Los Angeles Adapting to Coexist with Humans, Study Finds”

Mountain lions in greater Los Angeles are proactively shifting their activity to avoid interacting with cyclists, hikers, joggers, and other recreationists, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of California, Davis, Cal Poly Pomona, and the National Park Service. The study, published in the journal Biological Conservation on Nov. 15, found that mountain lions living in areas with higher levels of human recreation were more nocturnal, while lions in more remote regions were more active at dawn and dusk.

Lead author Ellie Bolas, a Ph.D. candidate in the UC Davis Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, stated, “People are increasingly enjoying recreating in nature, which is fantastic. This flexibility we see in mountain lion activity is what allows us to share these natural areas together. Mountain lions are doing the work so that coexistence can happen.”

The researchers monitored the movements of 22 mountain lions living in the Santa Monica Mountains and the surrounding region between 2011 and 2018. The lions were fitted with GPS and accelerometer collars as part of a long-term study conducted by biologists at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The study analyzed the collar data and quantified human recreation in the area using a global database of GPS-tracked activities.

Griffith Park was found to have the highest levels of recreational activity, while the Santa Susana Mountains and Los Padres National Forest were least active. Female mountain lions were generally more active closer to sunrise and during daylight hours compared to males, possibly to avoid overlapping with male lions, who pose a threat to them and their kittens.

The study also highlighted the experiences of individual mountain lions, such as P13, a female in the central and western Santa Monica Mountains, who was the least nocturnal, and P41, a male in the Verdugo Mountains, who was the most nocturnal. The famous “Hollywood Cat,” P22, who crossed two busy freeways to earn fame and a home in Griffith Park, was the second most nocturnal lion studied.

The authors emphasized that mountain lions actively seek to avoid people when faced with increased human activity, rather than becoming habituated to them. They also noted that people can help protect themselves and mountain lions by being aware of prime mountain lion activity times and being cautious when driving at night.

Despite the challenges faced by mountain lions in the Los Angeles area, such as busy roadways, wildfires, rodenticide exposure, low genetic diversity, and fragmented habitat, the researchers expressed optimism about the coexistence between humans and mountain lions. The study was supported by funding from the National Science Foundation, National Park Service, La Kretz Center for California Conservation at UCLA, and the UC Davis Graduate Group in Ecology Fellowship.