It’s been one mountain lion kitten den after another this summer for National Park Service biologists in the Santa Monica Mountains and Simi Hills. In total, 13 kittens were born to five mountain lion mothers between May and August 2020.
Unfortunately, there have also been deaths, notably in late September when an adult was killed while trying to cross the 101 freeway in the Calabasas area, another last year on the 405 freeway and, according to a study by the National Park Service, 17 have been killed by motorists from 2002 to 2019.
A key solution is wildlife crossing bridges, notably one in the planning stages over eight lanes of the 101 freeway at Agoura Hills, allowing an expansion of the current isolated community of over a dozen lions living in the Santa Monica Mountains. Such a wildlife corridor is not only for the lions, but would also increase habitat for bobcats, coyotes, deer, fox and many other species.
The National Wildlife Federation is leading a fundraising campaign for the Agoura overpass, already raising about $16 million of its $85 million goal to break ground in 2021, according the LA Times.
To donate, go to: www.SaveLAcougars.org
Another good news event was a September ruling by a judge formally granting permission to four conservation organizations to help defend Ventura County’s innovative wildlife connectivity ordinances—the first of their kind in California. Ordinance No. 4537 and Ordinance No. 4539, which increase protections for important designated wildlife corridors connecting the Los Padres National Forest, Santa Monica Mountains and Simi Hills, were challenged in court by industry groups last year.
Too, the proposed widening of the 101 freeway from Thousand Oaks to the city of Ventura is perhaps another opportunity to construct a wildlife overpass in the Conejo Grade area, said Jim Hines, our chapter’s vice-chair. “The Conejo Grade is a known wildlife crossing and the National Park Service has documented a number of cases where mountain lions and other wildlife have crossed the 101 freeway in the area. I have joined the efforts of Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks in urging people to comment in favor of a 101 Conejo Grade wildlife overpass to be constructed during the 101-widening process,” Hines said.
Known as the 101 Communities Connected project, you can comment on that under public input: https://tinyurl.com/101Widening
Back to the births …
This is the first time this many mountain lion dens have been found within such a short period of time during the 18-year study, in which a total of 21 litters of kittens have been marked at the den site by researchers. Previously, the highest number of dens found in one year was four in 2015).
“This level of reproduction is a great thing to see, especially since half of our mountains burned almost two years ago during the Woolsey Fire,” said Jeff Sikich, a wildlife biologist at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. “It will be interesting to see how these kittens use the landscape in the coming years and navigate the many challenges, both natural and human-caused, they will face as they grow older and disperse.”
-- Condor Call Editor John Hankins