Mountain lions are actively shifting their behavior to avoid people in more popular outdoor recreation areas, according to a study published Friday by UC Davis, Cal Poly Pomona and the National Park Service.The study found that mountain lions living in areas with higher levels of human recreation in the Los Angeles region were more nocturnal than lions in more remote regions who were more active at dawn and dusk.”People are increasingly enjoying recreating in nature, which is fantastic,” said lead author Ellie Bolas, a Ph.D. candidate in the UC Davis Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology. “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 study tracked the movements of 22 mountain lions living in the Santa Monica Mountains and surrounding regions between 2011 and 2018.Key Highlights of Mountain Lion BehaviorLions near more recreational activity tended to be more nocturnal Actively sought to avoid humans rather than become habituated to themFemales in areas with the least recreational activity more active at dawn and duskThe study also found that the type of recreation did not alter the observed patterns of these mountain lions. Even as mountain lions appear to be adapting to avoid human encounters, the authors noted that people can help protect themselves and mountain lions by being aware that dawn or dusk is prime time for mountain lion activity and should be extra cautious when driving at night in areas populated by mountain lions. The full study can be found here.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter
Mountain lions are actively shifting their behavior to avoid people in more popular outdoor recreation areas, according to a study published Friday by UC Davis, Cal Poly Pomona and the National Park Service.
The study found that mountain lions living in areas with higher levels of human recreation in the Los Angeles region were more nocturnal than lions in more remote regions who were more active at dawn and dusk.
“People are increasingly enjoying recreating in nature, which is fantastic,” said lead author Ellie Bolas, a Ph.D. candidate in the UC Davis Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology. “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 study tracked the movements of 22 mountain lions living in the Santa Monica Mountains and surrounding regions between 2011 and 2018.
Key Highlights of Mountain Lion Behavior
- Lions near more recreational activity tended to be more nocturnal
- Actively sought to avoid humans rather than become habituated to them
- Females in areas with the least recreational activity more active at dawn and dusk
The study also found that the type of recreation did not alter the observed patterns of these mountain lions.
Even as mountain lions appear to be adapting to avoid human encounters, the authors noted that people can help protect themselves and mountain lions by being aware that dawn or dusk is prime time for mountain lion activity and should be extra cautious when driving at night in areas populated by mountain lions.
The full study can be found here.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter
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