LOS ANGELES – The biggest threat to mountain lions in California is traffic. More than 100 of the big cats died this year across the state in collisions with fast-moving cars.

The Santa Monica Mountains are the major problem area, with at least two mountain lions killed there in recent weeks - including one known as "P-39," who leaves three cubs behind. But Andrew Hughan, public information officer for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Regions 5 and 6, says that isn't uncommon; vehicle collisions are an unfortunate side effect of their habitat erosion.

"Mountain lions are probably killed a couple times a week," said Hughan. "They're killed all the time across the state."

And yet, state officials say the mountain lion population remains stable, mostly because the species lacks other, natural predators.

Wildlife advocates have worked hard to raise awareness of the challenges for big cats, to the point that any death sparks a public conversation.

Hughan says P-39's orphaned cubs are now fending for themselves. Mountain lions usually stick close to their mothers for the first two years of life.

Statewide estimates of the mountain lion population range from 4,000 to 6,000. Hughan points out that California is the only state that protects them by legislation. So, the big cats may not be safe from traffic on busy roadways - but they are safe from hunters.

"There are a few other states that outlaw it, just because they don't want them hunted," he explained. "But California's the only one that's protected. There's no hunting, so the population's allowed to thrive. The only thing, really, that keeps the population in check is getting hit by cars."

He encourages drivers to report any car accidents involving a mountain lion, because many are tagged and studied. These accidents are not considered a crime.

His department also handled the high-profile case this month of "P-45," a mountain lion that killed about a dozen alpacas and a couple of goats. The owner requested a permit to kill the lion, and according to Hughan, that caused a public uproar.

"The alpaca owner decided to rescind the permit and not do anything about it, so P-45 continues to roam around the Santa Monica Mountains," he said. "But you know, we're not looking for it or hunting it, or anything like that."

He added the department supports the plan for a wildlife corridor over the busy U.S. Route 101 freeway to help ease tensions for the Santa Monica lion population, but says the politics of funding it are complicated.



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Teams of researchers and volunteers will fan out at dawn Friday with their smartphones and binoculars on the Florida Gulf Coast University campus for a 24-hour biological scavenger hunt, known as "BioBlitz."

The annual event comes as new research shows Florida's natural habitats are disappearing at unprecedented rates, with Southwest Florida among the regions most affected. The fifth annual event builds on last year's discovery of 144 species, including the rare two-striped forktail dragonfly and confirmed river otter activity on campus wetlands.

Mercedes Rasler, a senior biology student at the university, hopes to focus her camera to capture another circling osprey, one of the region's most visible raptors.

"We see a lot of ospreys, a lot of red-shouldered hawks, those are kind of our cool raptors," Rasler reported. "In terms of other species, we've got northern mockingbirds, we've got grackles, blue jays, lots of iconic species, but then also some species that people may not know right away."

This year, participants equipped with the iNaturalist app aim to surpass previous records while contributing to a global database supporting conservation efforts. Anyone, regardless of location, can participate by downloading the app and documenting species in their own area.

Oscar Johnson, assistant professor of ornithology at the university, explained the scientific value of BioBlitz, through its not-so-secret goal of empowering "citizen science" to document biodiversity.

"It's a combination of an event where we can get a lot of people outside and looking at nature, learning about nature, looking at cool bugs, birds, mammals, plants, anything that we can find that's living," Johnson outlined. "Learn about identification, natural history."

The event aligns with similar conservation efforts at other Florida schools and organizations. With ongoing budget constraints and staffing reductions across wildlife agencies, state officials said volunteer-collected data now play an increasingly important role in species monitoring efforts.

Wildlife conservationists are working with landowners and concerned Texans to recover at-risk species.

Currently, more than 1,100 animals from salamanders to mountain lions to birds need protection. Grahame Jones, executive director of the Texas Conservation Alliance, said the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is at the forefront of the work, and added that the agency created a comprehensive program to save the near threatened Guadalupe bass "through stockings in different rivers and creeks, restoration projects in watersheds and rivers, and then the management of invasive plants and how that might affect the rivers. And then also bringing in the public to help them."

The department is updating its Wildlife Action Plan that helps manage and conserve various species to keep them off the threatened and endangered lists. A survey is on the department's website.

The Parks and Wildlife Department is also working to save the threatened Texas horned lizard, or horny toad. John DeFillipo, regional executive director of the National Wildlife Federation, said the agency is partnering with landowners to help repopulate the reptile.

"So, they will release these small horny toads on their property and also the work, which is unique on the horny toads, they coordinated with zoos across the state, and they raised them and released about 1,000 hatchlings," he said. "And then these hatchlings, since they're so young, they're able to produce in the wild."

Jones added that it's easier to keep population numbers up than it is try to recover a species.

"Once they get on a threatened list or endangered species list, the rules change and it's more expensive and there's all sorts of caveats and issues that come up," he said."So the goal is to keep these species off those lists."

Wyoming's practice of feeding elk over winters is a century old but the spread of disease has increased concerns. Now, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition is rolling out a new solution.

The group launched a voluntary program in 2019, incentivizing ranchers who live near elk feedgrounds to ship their cattle elsewhere during winters, allowing elk to roam on their native winter range instead.

It keeps cattle and elk from commingling, which can lead to the spread of dangerous diseases such as brucellosis and Chronic Wasting Disease.

Teddy Collins, Wyoming conservation associate for the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, said the program is beneficial to the elk and cattle ranchers.

"It is very timely to have these agreements as a tool in the toolbox for state wildlife officials to try and move away from this process that has been around for a hundred years, but has negative repercussions," Collins emphasized.

Collins noted Chronic Wasting Disease was detected in four of the state's 21 feedgrounds this winter. A rancher in Lincoln County signed on in the fall, adding to the two agreements Teton County ranchers have signed since 2019.

The agreements are tailored to each rancher. Generally, cattle leave the property for more temperate areas of Wyoming or Utah from around Dec. 1 to April 1. The Greater Yellowstone Coalition shares associated costs with producers.

"These are voluntary agreements and they are incentive-based," Collins explained. "Each agreement is unique to the needs and the topography and the business of the individual producer."

Producers are, he added, "quite satisfied" with the program so far.


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