Mountain lions in the greater Los Angeles area are adapting their behavior to minimize encounters with cyclists, hikers, joggers, and other outdoor enthusiasts, according to a recent study.
A study by researchers from the University of California, Davis, Cal Poly Pomona, and the National Park Service reveals that mountain lions in greater Los Angeles are actively changing their routines to avoid interactions with recreational users.
Published on November 15 in the journal Biological Conservation, the research indicates that mountain lions residing in areas with high human activity tend to be more active during the night compared to those in more secluded regions, who are primarily active during dawn and dusk. The researchers see this as a promising example of how humans and wildlife can coexist in a densely populated area.
“It’s wonderful to see more people enjoying nature,” stated Ellie Bolas, the study’s lead author and a Ph.D. candidate at UC Davis’ Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology. “The adaptability we’ve observed in mountain lion behavior is crucial for us to jointly share these natural spaces. Mountain lions are taking steps to facilitate this coexistence.”
Although mountain lions prefer to stay away from humans, the vast metropolitan area, which is home to over 18 million people, includes natural habitats that are also popular among recreational visitors. To investigate how these lions were adjusting their activities, the researchers tracked the movements of 22 mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains and adjacent regions from 2011 to 2018.
The lions were captured and fitted with GPS and accelerometer collars as part of an ongoing research project by biologists from the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, a unit of the National Park Service. The researchers analyzed the collected tracking data and assessed human recreational activity in the region using a global database of publicly shared GPS-tracked activities.
“These findings are significant as they reveal less obvious ways that humans influence wildlife, beyond just vehicular collisions,” remarked Seth Riley, wildlife branch chief at the park. “The study highlights the remarkable fact that a population of a large predator like the mountain lion can survive in one of the largest urban environments in the world, which wouldn’t be feasible without their ability to adapt to human presence.”
Mountain lions and human interaction
The research identified Griffith Park as having the highest recreational use, while the Santa Susana Mountains and Los Padres National Forest saw less activity. How did the mountain lions react to these varying levels of human interaction?
The least nocturnal mountain lion recorded was female P13 from the central and western Santa Monica Mountains. Generally, female lions were observed to be more active near sunrise and during the day compared to their male counterparts. This pattern may help them avoid conflicts with male lions, who could threaten them and their cubs.
The two most nocturnal lions were male and lived in compact, isolated natural spaces with many trails and high recreational activity, surrounded by significant development and highways. Both males had some of the smallest recorded home ranges for adult lions. P41, identified as the most nocturnal lion in the study, resided in the Verdugo Mountains, a small range that stretches across several cities.
The well-known “Hollywood Cat,” P22, preferred to stay out of the public eye. P22 became famous after crossing two busy freeways as a young lion and later lived in the active Griffith Park. He was the second most nocturnal lion studied but passed away in 2022 at approximately 12 years old, making him one of the oldest lions observed in the research.
The study’s authors noted that the experiences of P41, P22, and others showcase how mountain lions consciously strive to evade people instead of becoming accustomed to human presence when confronted with increased recreational activity.
What people can do
However, the researchers emphasized that mountain lions shouldn’t bear the entire burden. People can support both their safety and that of mountain lions by recognizing that dawn and dusk are peak times for lion activity. Additionally, they should exercise extra caution while driving at night, as mountain lions are more active in populated regions during those hours.
Mountain lions in the Los Angeles area face multiple challenges, including busy roadways leading to frequent fatalities, wildfires, exposure to rodenticides, limited genetic diversity, and fragmented habitats.
“Even activities that seem harmless, like recreation, can add to the existing stressors in their lives, possibly affecting how much energy they have for vital functions like hunting,” remarked Bolas. “Nonetheless, we can be optimistic that they display flexibility in their behavioral patterns. Coexistence is indeed taking place, largely due to the efforts of the mountain lions.”
In addition to Bolas, the study’s co-authors include Adam Pingatore and Daniel Blumstein from UCLA, Maya Mathur from Harvard Westlake High School, Jeff Sikich from the National Park Service, Justine Smith from UC Davis, John Benson from the University of Nebraska, and Rachel Blakey from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and UCLA.
The research was made possible through funding from the National Science Foundation, the National Park Service, the La Kretz Center for California Conservation at UCLA, and the UC Davis Graduate Group in Ecology Fellowship.
