The Bay Area canyon mountain lion and people

She’s a cautious mountain lion. She wants nothing to do with people and does whatever is necessary to avoid them. She travels through the canyon on the wildlife and hiking trails during those times when she is less likely to encounter people. At the first hint of a human, she quietly disappears into the brush. She knows when there are people nearby because they’re loud, not just vocally but in other ways. They walk heavy, the ground creaks and rattles under their feet, grasses crunch. People aren’t subtle on the trails. Although pumas avoid humans, there are exceptions. Females can be belligerent when accompanied by cubs. Like all species, maternal instinct kicks in. Another exception is when a mountain lion feels cornered.

Many wild animals, including the canyon mountain lion, venture out between dusk to dawn to find food and other resources, times when human activity is minimal. The presence of people alters the dynamics between predators and prey, changes feeding behaviors^{1, 2} and the locations for hunting, foraging and sheltering. Although some species, including mountain lions and bobcats, are naturally nocturnal and/or crepuscular³, studies are showing that wild animals are shifting their activities from day to night to avoid humans⁴. People should be mindful and time-share the canyon and other natural spaces with the wild residents, only enjoying them during the day. The night belongs to wildlife. Don’t visit the canyon at night, instead walk on the street in the evenings and at night. The street runs parallel to the canyon and is less than four hundred yards away.

Our canyon mountain lion runs from a person

On the night of August 23^rd, in our bay area canyon, the mountain lion avoided an encounter with a walker who stumbled up the trail. Most likely, he had no idea that he was right behind the mountain lion, heading in the same direction. The time stamp on the first video shows the puma rushing up the trail at 8:39 PM. A few seconds later, at 8:40 PM, the walker is captured on film following closely behind her.

The time stamp on the first video shows the puma rushing up the trail at 8:39 PM.

A few seconds later, at 8:40 PM, the walker is captured on film following closely behind her.

Mountain lions follow their prey

Mountain lions follow their food and their favorite meal is venison. The canyon is currently hosting a substantial number of deer. There is plenty of vegetation, water, and cover for them. Until recently, it’s been a relatively safe haven for the does and their fawns. Before the puma showed up in July, the only predators that raised concern were a pair of coyotes who are regulars in the canyon.

A mountain lion will kill and eat approximately one deer a week. Our canyon lion, like all pumas, doesn’t eat the whole thing in one sitting. She first drags the carcass somewhere nearby and then caches it; covering it with forest detritus to protect it from scavengers and reduce spoilage. Depending on the size of the prey and other environmental factors, it can take her between 2-5 days to consume it. Being a typical mountain lion, she’ll stay nearby, unless frightened away, until the carcass is eaten or spoiled. She isn’t the only one who benefits from her hunting prowess. When she’s away from the carcass, other animals have a chance to grab a quick bite—coyotes, raptors, skunks, and other wildlife benefit from the puma’s successful hunt.

On August 22^nd, our bay area canyon mountain lion stalked and ambushed a fawn, one of two who was birthed by a lame, resident doe. Although sad to see, the death of that one fawn is ecologically significant. That fawn died so that others can live and thrive. Her death was not in vain—it contributed to keeping the eco-system balanced and healthy. She fed the community.

The delicate balance of the ecosystem

The presence of the mountain lion in the bay area canyon serves as a powerful reminder of the delicate balance between wildlife and human activity. Our puma plays a crucial role in maintaining the health of the canyon ecosystem. By regulating the deer population, she helps prevent overgrazing, reduces disease transmission (including Lyme disease), and provides sustenance for other wildlife. Additionally, because she is an opportunistic hunter she hunts smaller prey including rats.

By being mindful of our impact on the environment and sharing these spaces responsibly with wildlife and bay area mountain lions, we can help maintain the health of the ecosystem and its wild residents. The canyon, with its rich ecosystem, offers a sanctuary for many species, and it is our duty to protect and preserve it. One small way we can help the ecosystem is to enjoy the canyon only during the day—don’t go there at night. The night belongs to the wild ones. Enjoy the canyon and other open spaces during the day and leave the night to its rightful inhabitants.

1. Justine A. Smith , Justin P. Suraci1, Michael Clinchy, Ayana Crawford, Devin Roberts, Liana Y. Zanette, and Christopher C. Wilmers. Fear of the human ‘super predator’ reduces feeding time in large carnivores. September 14, 2025.

2. Veronica Yovovich, Meredith Thomsen, Christopher C. Wilmers. Pumas’ fear of humans precipitates changes in plant architecture January 1, 2021. Ecosphere www.esajournals.org 1 v Volume 12(1) v Article e03309

3. Crepuscular: Crepuscular animals are the most active during dawn and dusk.

4. Kaitlyn M. Gaynor, Cheryl E. Hojnowski, Neil H. Carter, and Justin S. Brashares. The influence of human disturbance on wildlife nocturnality Jun 2018 Vol 360, Issue 6394 pp. 1232-1235

Marilyn is a certified cat behavior consultant (The Cat Coach, LLC). Not surprisingly, she’s fascinated by feline behavior. This started with household cats and then after witnessing a puma being killed four blocks from her home in the suburbs, expanded to include local bay area mountain lions and bobcats. A few years after the tragedy, she joined the Bay Area Puma Project/Felidae Conservation Fund, maintaining trail cameras, writing and helping wherever she can. Her focus is on how urbanization is affecting apex predators’ behaviors.

She is also an author and educator. Her book Naughty No More! focuses on solving cat behavior issues through clicker training, environmental changes as well as other positive reinforcement techniques. She gives presentations throughout the United States as well as writes columns and articles for a variety of venues.

Join Marilyn for lively discussions about all things feline on her Facebook pages: The Cat Coach and Urbanedge Wildlife

The post Living with Mountain Lions in a Bay Area Canyon appeared first on Urban Edge Wildlife.

Among the notable wildlife recorded this summer, we are privileged to watch as bobcat kittens, a mountain lion cub and a spotted fawn grow and mature.

New bobcat family in the canyon.

Puma family saga

It is not new news that mountain lions are regulars in the canyon. They have lived in the area long before the first peoples came to California. My cameras have watched the wildlife in this canyon for only five years—a brief minute when compared to the length of time pumas have lived here.  Until this year, they have documented only solitary lions, never family groups or pairings. This year it is different. For the first time since the cams have peeked into the lives of the inhabitants, the canyon is fortunate to host a small puma family composed of a female along with her one cub. The pair has been captured on film almost every month since February. The first glimpse I saw of the little family was when the cub was around three months old.

Youngsters stick with their mums until they are between 18-24 months old. Then they disperse, searching for their own territories. Puma moms have difficult jobs. It is not an easy task to teach their young ones’ important survival skills. Living solitary lives, they must protect, hunt and raise the cubs without help. Unlike our local coyotes, mountain lions do not live peacefully with each other; they don’t live in packs and they don’t hunt cooperatively. Nor do adults willingly share their meals with conspecifics, but there are exceptions.

The puma mom is doing a good job. As her cub matures, she gives him more independence. One indication of this is her increasing the distance between them. But she is always nearby, ready to intervene, just in case there is danger.

The most recent appearance of the little family was in June, filmed at the rim of the canyon.

Video courtesy of Eric Cheng

Bobcat soap opera

At least two litters of bobcats were born this year, probably from two different females. Usually, bobcats only have one litter a year. The kittens stay with their mums until they’re between eight to twelve months old and then disperse². Early this year three adorable bob kittens were recorded almost every day, playing with each other and annoying their mother. Although one of the babies had only one eye, he seemed to manage as well as his siblings.

Early this summer a new bob family was recorded in the canyon. The mom seems young; she may have been born about 18 months ago and possibly is the daughter of the female who, for at least four years, has claimed parts of the canyon as her core territory. Based on her behavior with the kittens, I’m guessing that this litter is a first for this girl. She doesn’t seem quite as vigilant as the older, experienced bobcat mum. Although she keeps track of the youngsters, they are a distance from her. Also, she only has two kittens. Young, first time mothers usually have fewer kittens then older females.³

The first time the babies were caught on film they were young, barely two months old. Mom may have been moving her little family to a new den. Kittens are frequently relocated, more when they are neonates, sometimes as often as every day to every few days. As they age they are moved less often. Predators also determine when it is time for a change of address⁴ because the little ones are vulnerable to predation by coyotes, raptors, puma and even male bobcats. The smell of the dens and the sounds of the kittens attract them.

The first time the babies were filmed, they may have been almost weaned, new graduates from the milk bar and barely getting accustomed to a meat diet. Around this time, they also start to learn to hunt. Bobcat moms have their work cut out for them: there are many mandatory survival skills these babies must learn in order to make it in a dangerous and competitive environment.

Mom is doing something right. Both kittens have survived another month—a hard task for a single mom. The little ones have grown and appear to be thriving. I love watching their immediate responses when their mom calls them. We definitely will keep a vigilant eye on those youngsters.

The camera at the fork in the trail is positioned at a popular spot for bobcats. Bobcats, like most felids live mostly solitary lives, they usually don’t socialize with other conspecifics unless they are juveniles ready to disperse, adults looking for mates or a queen raising kittens.

Coyote reality show

Coyote 09M was the canyon star for a few years. He was a joy to watch as he played and interacted with his mate and gamboled on the trail. 09M had a distinctive personality that showed through in the hundreds of videos of him.  The cameras lost track of him two years ago. Since he disappeared several coyotes have been filmed. None stayed for the length of time 09M did. While that boy lived in the canyon, he took a mate and produced at least two litters of adorable pups.

A bonded pair of young coyotes began hanging out in the canyon a few months ago. Tragically, the male was badly injured in July and lost a foot.  We can only guess the initial event—he could have gotten his foot caught in a trap or he may have been bitten by a rattlesnake. It is one of many wildlife mysteries that probably will never be solved. It is difficult for coyotes to successfully hunt when injured to that degree—sadly the survival rate is low. Now, only the female has been spotted.

Deer tales

There is a smorgasbord of vegetation for the deer to dine on in the canyon—a major attractant for a doe and her fawn. The two have found plenty to munch on, especially next to the creek, directly in front of one of my cameras.

In contrast to the bobs and lions, deer are highly social, and hang together in herds. There is safety in numbers—herds give deer some protection against coyotes and mountain lions. The characteristic of individual herds vary and are dependent on the ages, gender, familial ties as well as the season. Bucks group themselves in “bachelor groups” in the spring, but then become rivals when competing for the attentions of the does. Bachelor groups usually have three to six individuals in them. Ours has five members.

Wildlife dramas continue

The wildlife soap opera continues and because of technology, we are fortunate to be able to catch fleeting, 20 second glimpses into the fascinating lives of the canyon animals. It’s wonderful to watch as they live out their lives, hunting, playing and interacting with each other.  The cameras also play an important part in monitoring the behavior changes of our wild inhabitants caused by the pressures of urbanization and the fragmenting of their habitats.

1. Three to four trail cameras have been filming wildlife and human activity in an undeveloped 88 acre canyon for almost five years.  This canyon is surrounded by businesses, roads and homes. Footage from the cams document behaviors of the suburban wildlife being impacted by the pressures of urbanization.
2. Hanson, Kevin. Bobcat Master of Survival. 2007. Oxford University Press.
3. 4. Sunquist and Sunquist. Wildcats of the World. 2002. University of Chicago Press

Marilyn is a certified cat behavior consultant (The Cat Coach, LLC). Not surprisingly, she’s fascinated by feline behaviors. This started with household cats and then after witnessing a puma being killed a few blocks from her home in the suburbs, expanded to include local mountain lions and bobcats. A few years after the tragedy, she joined the Bay Area Puma Project/Felidae Conservation Fund, maintaining trail cameras, writing and helping wherever she can. Her focus is on how urbanization is affecting apex predators’ behaviors.

She is also an author and educator. Her book Naughty No More! focuses on solving cat behavior issues through clicker training, environmental changes as well as other positive reinforcement techniques. She gives presentations throughout the United States as well as writes columns and articles for a variety of venues. She is also frequently interviewed for podcasts, print and on line publications. Additionally Marilyn is a frequent guest on television and radio and has appeared, along with her Bengals and Savannah Cat on Animal Planet , CBS, ABC, KGO and others.

The post Summer Time Wildlife Dramas appeared first on Urban Edge Wildlife.

Mountain lion latrines: photo courtesy of Felidae Conservation Fund/Bay Area Puma Project

FelidaeFund/Bay Area Puma Project is using non-invasive methods to collect mountain lion scat for research. The excrement is used for monitoring the health and genetics of the local puma populations. Although people do stumble across puma scat and occasionally latrines, we aren’t very efficient or successful at finding them. And, sometimes coyote or another meso-predator’s scat is mistaken as having been left behind by a puma. Because trained scent dogs are more successful and much faster at finding scat then humans are, FelidaeFund recruited Finn, a smart working dog, along with her well-trained handler, Michelle for the job. Watching the team work was impressive.

Scent dog team searching for mountain lion scat

When Finn first detected the lion’s scent next to my wildlife camera at the bottom of the canyon she sprinted straight up the steep 85 degree incline, through sticky brush and tall grass until she found her prize—puma poop. The two human members of the team followed close behind her. Not wanting to slow everyone down, I waited below, my eyes fixated on my phone; waiting impatiently for texts about what the dog had found.  Finn’s sensitive nose led the team to a welcomed find—mountain lion latrines.

Mountain lion latrines

Mountain lion latrines are often found near puma kills, sometimes adjacent to a trail and/or under brush. Although, they can be within 15 feet or so from the carcass, they can also be located further away¹. Latrines can contain between 1-5 scats, but it varies widely; sometimes lions will defecate in one place several times or they’ll use it only once and then move on to another spot. According to the Mountain Lion Foundation the latrines vary in size and in mound height. After defecating in the latrines, lions will usually cover the excrement with forest detritus—this is one of the few circumstances when pumas cover². Possibly, covering the excrement near kills minimizes the possibility of unwelcomed predators, including other pumas, coyotes and bobcats from detecting the smell, being drawn to the fresh carcasses and helping themselves to free meals.³

The locations of mountain lion latrines are not arbitrary. Pumas don’t sit down to a meal and eat the whole thing in one sitting; they consume their prey in multiple feedings. Because a single deer carcass can feed a puma for a few days to a week, it’s practical for lions to make latrines close to the carcass. Covering them reduces the smell factor.⁴

A mountain lion’s favorite meal is venison.

Genetic checks

The scat that Finn triumphantly tracked down contains genetic material as well as other valuable components that provide insights about the health of the individual who produced it. DNA analysis of the canyon scat coupled with a larger sample base collected from other Bay Area locations will reveal information about stress levels of the local lions and the amount of inbreeding that is occurring because of fragmented, shrinking habitats and blocked wildlife corridors. Collectively, the information will help establish the necessity of building wildlife crossings over and under the highways to encourage genetic diversity within the wildlife populations.

Health check ups

The scat Finn tracked down also provides details about the canyon mountain lions health and the general health of the ecosystem. It reveals the individuals’ menus, if they’re mostly consuming deer or relying on other prey animals for nourishment. Analysis will also identify the types of parasites and pathogens that are harbored in the puma’s systems as well as the presence of deadly second generation rodenticides. Thanks to Finn, collecting puma scat in the canyon was easy.

Dog with a job

Finn is a working dog. She has a highly tuned sense of smell and is blessed with millions more olfactory receptors then we sensory deprived humans possess. Having roughly 300 million olfactory receptors, her scenting capability is around 40 times more acute than ours. Because of her talented nose, she is trained to detect specific scents, including scat from a variety of animal species and even scents from a wide range of invasive plants. Finn and her person work for Working Dogs for Conservation and are excellent at their jobs.

Finn’s nose led her to the mountain lion latrines

Using force free methods, a diverse species of animals, including dogs, horses, pigs and cats can be trained to be successful scent animals⁵. The training process is relatively straight forward and includes drilling holes in sturdy, identical containers. Samples of objects that carry the scent the animal in training is being taught to recognize are put in a few of the containers, while the remaining are filled with other unrelated scents. When the animal trainee stops and sniffs at the container with the right scent, she’s reinforced. Clicker training is a fun, force free method commonly used to train animals.

Finn is very good at her job. After her nose led her to the puma poop, she sat down and excitedly wagged her tail. Of course, she was immediately reinforced with a treat for each triumphant success.

Who would think that puma poop plays such an important role in finding out about the health of the local puma population as well as other animals in the eco-system? The scat that Finn tracked down will provide wildlife researchers and conservationists with important genetic and health insights about the effects of urbanization.  Analysis of the scat from the canyon as well as from other locations in the area will hopefully contribute to projects that unblock wildlife corridors and create wildlife crossings under and over highways.

1, 3, 4. Elbroch, M., Kresky, M., Evans, J. 2012. Field Guide to Animal Tracks and Scat of California. University of California Press. pp 104, 163.

2. Pumas use their excrement to mark their territories as well as broadcast information about themselves.

5.Kat Donald. 2022, April. The Nose Knows (Olfactory Enrichment for All!), presentation for Animal Behavior Management Alliance (ABMA)

6. Thank you Zara McDonald for fact checking

Marilyn is a certified cat behavior consultant (The Cat Coach, LLC). Not surprisingly, she’s fascinated by feline behaviors. This started with household cats and then after witnessing a puma being killed a few blocks from her home in the suburbs, expanded to include local mountain lions and bobcats. A few years after the tragedy, she joined the Bay Area Puma Project/Felidae Conservation Fund, maintaining trail cameras, writing and helping wherever she can. Her focus is on how urbanization is affecting apex predators’ behaviors.

She is also an author and educator. Her book Naughty No More! focuses on solving cat behavior issues through clicker training, environmental changes as well as other positive reinforcement techniques. She gives presentations throughout the United States as well as writes columns and articles for a variety of venues. She is also frequently interviewed for podcasts, print and on line publications. Additionally Marilyn is a frequent guest on television and radio and has appeared, along with her Bengals and Savannah Cat on Animal Planet, CBS, ABC, KGO and other stations.

Join Marilyn for lively discussions about all things feline on her Facebook page.

The post Mountain Lion Latrines and a Scent Dog appeared first on Urban Edge Wildlife.

Fragments of the Wild

Although 88 Acres may seem like a large area to the people who live on the rim and walk the trails, it isn’t large enough to successfully supply enough food, territory and mates for many of the wild animals who are regularly filmed there. This small wildlife oasis is only a small part of a network of other wild spaces in this suburban-scape. These natural places are separated from each other by busy roads, highways, fences and structures. In addition to these splintered, wild areas there is a large open space managed by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. In order to obtain enough food and to find mates, the animals have to travel between these green pockets. It’s dangerous for them; many do not survive past their first year, becoming victims of vehicles.

Share the space, avoid humans

Because of the size of the canyon, animals, including bobcats, coyotes, deer and mountain lions share the habitat with each other as well as the people who have discovered this small slice of paradise. Over the past 4 years, my wildlife cameras have recorded 1,000s of vignettes of wild animals hunting, patrolling, raising their young and living their lives along the trails that crisscross through the little wildlife oasis. Amazingly, the animals are mostly successful at avoiding people who hike, walk, jog and exercise their dogs on and off leash.

Mountain lion family

It is never predictable. Weeks can go by and only a few animals are captured on film, but then there are other times when the memory cards are full of extraordinary wildlife. Recently, the little canyon has been in for a treat. Along with the regular wild residents, mountain lions are visiting. Although we¹ regularly film pumas, this is the first time in 4 years that we are privileged to glimpse a little mountain lion family—a mom with her cub.

Lions in the hood

As a rule, pumas don’t want anything to do with humans and will attempt to time their visits to avoid us. Unfortunately, because of the increasing pressures of urbanization, it’s becoming harder for them to avoid detection. Their wild environments are shrinking, fragmenting and disappearing. As their habitats are squeezed, animals have little choice but to venture into nearby neighborhoods, seeking food, water and territory. Deer feast on plants around homes and the predators, including mountain lions and coyote, follow them. Felidae/Bay Area Puma Project conducted a study in the San Francisco Bay Area to predict the habitats that mountain lions occupy in these highly fragmented urban and suburban landscapes. The study found that instead of pumas being partial to areas with a high density of prey (deer), they prefer forested habitats that have sufficient cover that supports their stalk and ambush hunting strategies.

Human residents are seeing wild animals with increasing frequency. Recently, a home security camera located near the canyon filmed a large male mountain lion killing a female lion early in the morning and then dragging her down the street.

Mountain lions are highly territorial; males especially do not tolerate other lions in their territory. If their habitats weren’t shrinking and becoming increasingly splintered, the two may have never encountered each other. It is possible that both lions followed the deer into the neighborhood where the fatal confrontation occurred.

This may be a video of the male lion, crossing the busy road that borders the canyon a week after the deadly battle.

Usually our local mountain lions visit the canyon late at night, when people aren’t around. A study was conducted about five years ago that showed that even the sound of human voices was enough to startle them away from their meals. Confrontations with humans are rare. According to California Fish and Wildlife, there have been 19 attacks since 1984. Of those 19, three were fatal. The last fatality in the Bay Area occurred in 1909 in Morgan Hill and that mountain lion had rabies.

Although encounters between mountain lions and people are rare, it’s important to be cautious. Children should always be accompanied by adults and it’s safer to not hike alone. If you do happen to see a puma or a coyote, don’t run. Instead morph into a large, fearsome human—wave your arms, do jumping jacks and yell. Minimize your chances of crossing paths with predators by enjoying the wild areas only during the day. Pumas are generally the most active between dusk and dawn. Thousand of videos from trail cameras show wildlife activity occurring predominantly at night and in the early morning, before first light.

We are fortunate to have natural habitats adjacent to our communities as well as small wild pockets within some of our towns. Unfortunately, because of the increase in urbanization and the growing population, these habitats are disappearing, becoming increasingly fragmented and reduced in size. By themselves, they are not large enough to support and sustain healthy ecosystems—but, together they form a network. Wildlife has no choice but to travel across dangerous roads and sometimes into the neighborhoods in order to access these wild areas for food and mates. Although they want to avoid people, expect to occasionally spot wild animals on the roads, in your yards and on security cameras².

1. Years ago I started monitoring cameras in this canyon solely for the Bay Area Puma Project (Felidae Conservation Fund)–one of our scientists identified it as good location for research. After a few years, BAPP turned it over to me and although it’s still part of our research, it is the primary focus of my articles. 
2. Thank you Zara McDonald for fact checking.  

Marilyn is a certified cat behavior consultant (The Cat Coach, LLC). Not surprisingly, she’s fascinated by feline behaviors. This started with household cats and then after witnessing a puma being killed a few blocks from her home in the suburbs, expanded to include local mountain lions and bobcats. A few years after the tragedy, she joined the Bay Area Puma Project/Felidae Conservation Fund, maintaining trail cameras, writing and helping wherever she can. Her focus is on how urbanization is affecting apex predators’ behaviors.

She is also an author and educator. Her book Naughty No More! focuses on solving cat behavior issues through clicker training, environmental changes as well as other positive reinforcement techniques. She gives presentations throughout the United States as well as writes columns and articles for a variety of venues. She is also frequently interviewed for podcasts, print and on line publications. Additionally Marilyn is a frequent guest on television and radio and has appeared, along with her Bengals and Savannah Cat on Animal Planet, CBS, ABC, KGO and others.

Join Marilyn for lively discussions about all things feline on her Facebook page.

The post A Wildlife Oasis in Suburbia appeared first on Urban Edge Wildlife.

A mountain lion visits the canyon on a weekly schedule. He was first filmed months ago, patrolling the trail in the early mornings, long before the joggers, walkers and dogs are out. The main trail camera is in the perfect spot to record him hesitating at the trail junction before continuing on his way. He usually stops for only a second or two, scents the air and scans the trail for potential threats. This boy is not the only mountain lion who regularly visits the canyon. A female is also an occasional visitor. In addition to the two pumas, the canyon appears to be hosting an increasing number of wildlife.*

A surge in canyon wildlife

After months of animal absenteeism, the canyon appears to have once again become a popular wildlife hot spot. Since late spring, the memory cards are filled to capacity with vids of dusky-footed wood rats, mice, rats and rabbits—magnets for predators. There is also a noticeable increase of deer hanging out in the canyon, observable with and without trail cameras. When walking slowly and quietly, you may catch a glimpse of deer off the paths munching on the vegetation. It is not a mystery why the mountain lions are drawn to the canyon—they follow the food and venison is their top menu choice.

For close to a year the trail cameras filmed only a few wild animals. The timing of the decrease of wild animal sightings coincided with the increase of people who discovered the little suburban paradise during the pandemic. Instead of the usual canyon wildlife, the memory cards were filled with videos of people, bicyclists and hundreds of dogs, many off leash, racing through the sensitive habitats.

After a long and painful year, we are finally on the other side of the pandemic. It appears that the unfortunate trend of dwindling wildlife is slowly reversing. Although many hikers and joggers still favor the trails, the cameras are filming fewer of them. Additionally, sightings of bicycles and off-leash dogs have decreased. This shift in human activity may be one of many reasons animals are either increasing in the canyon or making more appearances.

Mountain lions

Although the two lions, a male and a female, have not been filmed together, they do seem to time share the area, walking the same trails on different days. Pumas are territorial—especially the boys who have zero tolerance policies for other males. They compete for a limited number of females and food. For obvious reasons, males are at times more accepting of girls and it is not unusual for their territories to overlap those of females.

Mountain lions, like other members of the Felidae family, communicate a broad range of information about themselves and they also delineate their territories by marking. These include scraping dirt into piles with their back paws and then urinating or defecating on them and scratching objects, such as trees and logs. Although I searched for evidence of puma territorial markers, I have not found any in the vicinities of where the cats have recently been filmed.

Mountain lions are foodies—they love venison and for the last few months there has been plenty of it in the canyon. On an average, pumas usually take down one deer a week. It is not devoured in one sitting—one deer can feed a lion for a few days. On an average, they eat about 8-10 pounds of meat a day. The carcass is cached, covered with leaves, brambles and debris. Mountain lions do not usually travel too far from the carcass, that way they can snack on it when they’re hungry. The carcass feeds more than the lion—other opportunistic scavengers and predators, such as raptors, coyotes and smaller animals benefit from successful mountain lion hunts.

Bobcat sightings

The canyon bobcats are a continual source of entertainment, especially because I recognize a few of the individual cats. During the last few years, I have sketched out the placement and shapes of the spots on their front legs.

Patterns, placement and shapes of spots that are on the front legs of 3 different bobcats

Although, it appears that parts of the canyon are the core home ranges for at least two female bobs, a couple of males have also been filmed occasionally in the girls’ core zones. Core ranges are located inside much larger ranges. These smaller core zones include successful hunting spots, numerous shelters, water sources, and safe areas for birthing and raising kittens.

The two canyon girls might be related. When bobcats are 9-10 months old, they leave their mums to seek out their own territories. Males disperse further than females and have larger ranges which often purposely overlap the ranges of girls. Depending on available terrain and other critical necessities such as food, water, shelter and safety, the girls may stake out territories near their natal neighborhoods. Sometimes the outer reaches of their ranges are adjacent with their mums. Like most felines, bobcats live solitary lives, hunting and raising their young alone.

Bobcats don’t just hang out in their core home ranges—they patrol their whole territories. The canyon bobs often cross the dangerous road that borders one side of the canyon, accessing protected open space to hunt and possibly fraternize with the opposite sex.

At least two batches of kittens have been born, nurtured and raised in the canyon this year. Typically, litters start out with three kittens, but it is not set in stone. Unfortunately, it is rare for all to survive. Despite vigilant mums, it is a dangerous world for youngsters. Note the smallest kitten on the far right in the first video. Only one eye reflects light back into the camera. This little one may have a serious problem which may negatively impact the odds of successfully surviving into adulthood.

They are so cute bouncing down the trail.

I hope the trend the cameras are recording of an increase of wild animals in the canyon continues. Although there are many factors contributing to this latest shift in occupancies and visits, most likely it’s not a coincidence that the decrease of people, bicycles and off-leash dogs is making a major impact on the wildlife.

*You will note that the date stamp on some of the vids says the year 2020 instead of 2021. Unfortunately, one of the cameras does not display the date correctly and keeps defaulting to the wrong date.

Marilyn is a certified cat behavior consultant (The Cat Coach, LLC). Not surprisingly, she’s fascinated by feline behaviors. This started with household cats and then after witnessing a puma being killed a few blocks from her home in the suburbs, expanded to include local mountain lions and bobcats. A few years after the tragedy, she joined the Bay Area Puma Project/Felidae Conservation Fund, maintaining trail cameras, writing and helping wherever she can. She is focusing on how urbanization is affecting apex predators’ behaviors.

She is also an author and educator. Her book Naughty No More! focuses on solving cat behavior issues through clicker training, environmental changes as well as other positive reinforcement techniques. She gives presentations throughout the United States as well as writes columns and articles for a variety of venues. She is also frequently interviewed for print and on line publications. Additionally Marilyn is a frequent guest on television and radio and has appeared, along with her Bengals and Savannah Cat on Animal Planet, CBS, ABC, KGO and others.

Join Marilyn for lively discussions about all things feline on her Facebook page.

The post Summertime Brings Changes to the Canyon Wildlife appeared first on Urban Edge Wildlife.

I created a spreadsheet, comparing videos from one camera during the same 13-day period in 2019 with those from the same dates in 2021. The data tells the story, and it is not good. It’s a tragedy to see the canyon trails, once a paradise vibrant with a diversity of wild animals, changed into a ghost town.

It probably isn’t a coincidence that at the same time there’s been a dramatic decrease in wild animals, there is a substantial increase of people, bicyclists and off-leash dogs that are racing through the sensitive habitats. People’s response to Covid19 is most likely behind this upsurge of activity. Comparing the footage from the 13 days in 2019 to the same period in 2021, it’s noted that in 2019 there was only one dog off leash, 18 walkers and one bicyclist filmed in the canyon. It’s a different story in 2021. During the same period, 62 dogs ran off-leash, 499 people walked the trail and there were 33 bicyclists. Most likely, the consequences from the increased usage, especially from the dogs who are allowed off-leash is significant enough that many animal residents have vacated. Unfortunately, Coyote 09M, his mate and pups have disappeared. The last puma was filmed in November and the last coyote was recorded in October 2020. And during the recent 13-day period only a couple of bobcats, one deer and a few skunks were filmed.

Comparison of number of people for same 13 day period in 2019 and 2021–18 people in 2019, compared to 499 in 2021. See spread sheet

Dogs and people

Many of the people who are accompanied by their four-footed companions are responsible dog people. Their dogs are leashed, and their excrement is bagged and removed. As a rule, they control their dogs and don’t let them run off the trail. Thank you for being mindful and doing your part in preserving the canyon and attempting to keep it safe for its wild inhabitants.

Unfortunately, most of the dogs are uncontrolled and race off the trails. All of these dogs have people trailing a distance behind them. During the 13-day study period in 2021, 62 dogs were filmed running off-leash while only 40 sported leashes. The off-leash dogs tore through the canyon, chasing deer and other wildlife and destroying dusky-footed woodrat homes.

Dogs running off leash comparison for same 13 day period in 2019 and 2021. 1 dog ran off leash in 2019, 62 in 2021. See spread sheet.

The dusky-footed woodrat has been designated a species of special concern. This special mammal lives in the canyon and is the main reason that the canyon is not allowed to be developed. Their homes can be 60 to 70 years old—and up to 6 feet high.

Dusky-footed woodrat home

Although it took years for dusky-footed woodrats to construct this home, it probably took less than a minute for it to be destroyed.

Destroyed Dusky Footed Wood Rat home

The wild animals have left

The increase of people and uncontrolled dogs may not be the whole story—there might be other factors that also contribute to the wild animals vacating the area. Although correlation does not imply causation, based on the comparison of videos from the same time periods for the two years as well as the reports from other nature preserves and parks, the upsurge of people, off-leash dogs and bicyclists are most likely the primary reason for the wild animals to now avoid the trail.

Wildlife sightings comparison for same 13 day period in 2019 and 2021. 46 Wild animals were filmed in 2019, 18 in 2021.See spread sheet

I realize that people want to see me post videos of the latest wildlife that uses the trails. I can’t post any for you simply because there aren’t any. Although the wild animals are conspicuously absent from around the canyon trail, every week we have hundreds of new videos that are populated only with people, dogs and bicyclists. The cams are purposely aimed at an angle to avoid recording faces—we do see legs, knees and shoes. And the cams regularly film people engaged in a range of mostly healthy activities including walking, running, exercising, singing and dancing. Sometimes unexplained events are also filmed such as these people carrying shovels. I hope they are using those shovels to fill in the areas on the trail that now have erosion issues and that they aren’t removing native plants. And why move the stick?

Thousands of videos filmed in the canyon since 2018 chronicle the usual seasonal cycles of the wildlife. Unfortunately, they’ve also recorded a huge decrease of wild animals on the trail. Based on the data comparisons from the two years, it appears that the consequence of increasing human activities, especially dogs running loose into the fragile habitats has driven the wild animals to abandon the areas around our canyon trails.

*San Francisco dusky-footed woodrat, California red-legged frog, pallid, bat, potential nesting grounds for coopers hawk, white-tailed kite and yellow warbler from EIR Report, December 2008 Impact Science, Inc

Marilyn is a certified cat behavior consultant (The Cat Coach, LLC). Not surprisingly, she’s fascinated by feline behaviors. This started with household cats and then after witnessing a puma being killed a few blocks from her home in the suburbs, expanded to include local mountain lions and bobcats. A few years after the tragedy, she joined the Bay Area Puma Project/Felidae Conservation Fund, maintaining trail cameras, writing and helping wherever she can, while learning how urbanization is affecting the apex predators’ behaviors.

She is also an author and educator. Her book Naughty No More! focuses on solving cat behavior issues through clicker training, environmental changes as well as other positive reinforcement techniques. She gives presentations throughout the United States as well as writes columns and articles for a variety of venues. She is also frequently interviewed for print and online publications. Additionally, Marilyn is a frequent guest on television and radio and has appeared, along with her Bengals and Savannah Cat on Animal Planet, CBS, ABC, KGO and others.

Join Marilyn for lively discussions about all things feline on her Facebook page.

The post Where are the Wild Animals? appeared first on Urban Edge Wildlife.

A scrape made by a mountain lion.

Kiosks, sign posts and community scrapes have a lot in common; they communicate important information from the posters to the community without the necessity of physical interaction. The location the pumas choose for their communication center isn’t random either. They strategically pick specific spots in the forest to convey messages to other pumas who patrol and visit the area. It also isn’t a coincidence that we perfectly aimed one of the Bay Area Puma Project’s trail cameras to record the puma action at this special place.

Mountain lion checking out a scrape

Anatomy of a mountain lion scrape

Watching videos of mountain lions scraping is reminiscent of watching movies in slow motion. The puma’s back legs and feet slowly and deliberately rake leaves, soil and twigs into small piles on one side of bared earth. Then they squat and either defecate or urinate on top of them. Vital information is conveyed about the scraper from the excrement and possibly through scent that is deposited from the underside of paws.

Location, location, location

Community scrapes are often located in places where mountain lion territories overlap and at shared borders. Scrapes are multi-functional; they warn other lions away, time stamp visits and help attract mates. This behavior is most often seen from male pumas. Because of urbanization, the available wild spaces are shrinking and the rules are changing. The size of territories are decreasing and becoming substantially fragmented by highways, residential development and other structures.

My guess is that this is affecting wildlife behaviors. Although, I haven’t found a published study about it, it’s possible that the local mountain lions are being forced to time share and overlap more of their territories with their puma neighbors than they have in the past. In order to avoid unpleasant encounters with each other, pumas may be making and using community scrapes more. Scrapes aren’t just found grouped together; pumas will also scrape on trails that they travel on.

Although many of the adult lions who visit the site scrape, the more dominant male often scrapes regularly. Generally, juveniles will check out the scrapes but will not leave their calling cards—it’s in their best interests not to announce their presence to unfriendly resident adult males.

The most dominant male usually scrapes and marks the most.

Prime directive of male pumas

Pumas, especially males, don’t practice diplomacy: encounters often lead to serious injuries and death. Because the prime survival directive of adult males is to reproduce and hunt, they habitually have a zero-tolerance policy for others of the same sex. In addition to food, males compete for a limited number of females who are in estrus at any given time. Not surprisingly, male mountain lion territories can overlap and include those of a small number of females—pivotal spots for the boys to advertise their availability for mating by scraping.

Prime directive of female pumas

Female mountain lions have different agendas than the males. Theirs is to survive, reproduce and care for their offspring until they are equipped enough to survive on their own. Usually, young mountain lions leave their mums to search for their own territories when they’re between 18 months and two years old. All of mom’s energy and intention goes into raising those precious kittens—she has no interest in boyfriends and usually won’t go into estrus until they disperse, unless a determined male kills her young with the sole intention of having her return to estrus and be ready to mate again.

Mountain lion family. Photo courtesy of Felidae Conservation Fund

Mountain lions looking for dates

Normally, after the youngsters leave their mums, females go into estrus and become obsessed with finding boyfriends. And, adult male pumas are open to the idea. It’s an all-consuming occupation. The girls visit the community scrapes, checking out the messages left by neighborhood and transient lions. They are seeking out the strongest males to mate with. Generally, the most successful boys are chosen. They are the ones who scrape the most frequently, depositing pheromones through their excrement on the scrapes. The girls readily ID them through a scenting process called the flehmen response. All felids, including our household cat companions have olfactory organs known as the vomeronasal organ located in the roofs of their mouths. Felids make a very distinctive face when they’re taking in the scent—their mouths partly open and their nose wrinkles.

It’s not just the boys who scrape, girls will too occasionally. Although they sometimes make their own fresh scrapes, when canvassing for boyfriends, they may urinate on the top of scrapes made by males who are candidates for mating. In addition to broadcasting their availability, it also helps to deter competitors. Of course they also advertise for romantic liaisons through calling.

The lines of communication are open

Although mountain lions are highly territorial and spend most of their lives alone, they still need each other to survive. For their survival as well as the species, it’s imperative that the lines of communication are open with other pumas in the hood as well as those who are passing through. Community scrapes work well—they provide ways for mountain lions to advertise for mates, delineate territories and time stamp their visits without direct confrontations.*

Marilyn is a certified cat behavior consultant (The Cat Coach, LLC). Not surprisingly, she’s fascinated by feline behaviors. This started with household cats and then after witnessing a puma being killed a few blocks from her home in the suburbs, expanded to include local mountain lions and bobcats. A few years after the tragedy, she joined the Bay Area Puma Project/Felidae Conservation Fund, maintaining trail cameras, writing and helping wherever she can, while learning how urbanization is affecting the apex predators’ behaviors.

She is also an author and educator. Her book Naughty No More! focuses on solving cat behavior issues through clicker training, environmental changes as well as other positive reinforcement techniques. She gives presentations throughout the United States as well as writes columns and articles for a variety of venues. She is also frequently interviewed for print and on line publications. Additionally Marilyn is a frequent guest on television and radio and has appeared, along with her Bengals and Savannah Cat on Animal Planet, CBS, ABC, KGO and others.

Join Marilyn for lively discussions about all things feline on her Facebook page.

*The following resources were used extensively in writing this article:
Some of the visuals that are included here are courtesy of Felidae Conservation Fund. Please check out Felidae’s work at www.felidaefund.org.

Hornocker and Negri. Cougar Ecology & Conservation. 2010. The University of Chicago Press

Maximilian L. Allen, Heiko U. Wittmer, Paul Houghtaling, Justine Smith, L. Mark Elbroch, Christopher C. Wilmers. The Role of Scent Marking in Mate Selection by Female Pumas (Puma concolor). https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0139087 October 21, 2015.

Bart J. Harmsen, Rebecca J. Foster, Said M. Gutierrez, Silverio Y. Marin, C. Patrick Doncaster. Scrape-marking behavior of jaguars (Panthera onca) and pumas (Puma concolor). https://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article/91/5/1225/902019 Journal of Mammalogy, Volume 91, Issue 5, 15 October 2010

Maximilian L. Allen a,∗ , Heiko U. Wittmer and Christopher C. Wilmers. Puma communication behaviours: understanding functional use and variation among sex and age classes. Behavior Brill, December 30, 2013

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Mountain lion

This large male puma is a regular visitor to the canyon–he shows up about every two to three months. This time he didn’t stick around very long.

He usually stays in the canyon for a few days after he’s killed a deer. Typically, mountain lions cache their meals, covering them with leaves and debris and then return to eat them over a period of a few days.

Not too long after our cameras filmed these videos, a lion was found on the freeway above the canyon. I worried that it was him–it wasn’t. Although I’m thankful, I’m also sad.

Coyote 09M

09M hasn’t been filmed for a few weeks, for that matter, no coyotes have been caught on camera. I’m glad to see he’s still around. I think he’s favoring the open space over the canyon now because there are more rabbits there.

Deer

Neat video of one of the resident does framed by a garden spider and web. A rabbit behind her caught her attention.

Bobcats

We continue to get some great footage of the local bobcats.

Additional Bay Area Puma Project cameras

I just signed on to monitor wildlife cameras in two more locations. Both places are rich in a variety of wildlife. Unlike the canyon trail, very few people are able to access these places—keys and codes are needed. These places are special—they are seldom visited by humans so the animals don’t have to adjust their schedules in order to avoid people.

Mountain lion

Nice picture of a mountain lion taking a stroll.

Fox

There are lots of foxes in both of the new locations.

Birds

There seems to be more turkeys around–every year I see more crossing the roads. From what I’ve read, they’re contributing to the demise of our local birds–they raid nests and eat the eggs.

The post September Videos and Pictures appeared first on Urban Edge Wildlife.

A mountain lion named Slim

The wildlife cameras filmed her in March of 2018, the first week we set up the camera in the canyon. She was beautiful—a stunning female mountain lion walking down the trail in the rain. She made more appearances after that, usually once a month. Although the canyon was a relatively safe place to visit, she was mostly drawn to it because of the abundance of her favorite food—venison. She didn’t stick to the canyon though; she occasionally toured the surrounding communities. Neighborhood security cameras filmed her making the rounds, usually late at night or before dawn.

Slim tours the hood

Her name was Slim. She earned her moniker because her tail was thin, due to a lack of fur. A captain in the local police force who loves wildlife named her and it stuck. We compared Slim sightings, tracking her as she moved through her territory. She was a pleasure to watch. One day she walked into town, right in the middle of the residential district; a nice neighborhood with manicured lawns and sidewalks. Someone looked out their front window and instead of seeing the familiar kids riding their bicycles to school and people leaving for work, they saw a mountain lion strolling up the street.

California Fish and Wildlife, BACAT and the Santa Cruz Puma Project were called and quickly responded. Streets were cordoned off and residents were instructed to stay inside their homes with their pets. Slim was tranquilized, weighed and given a quick health check. She then received an ear tag and a tracking collar. Her health wasn’t great—she was malnourished and had mange, which explained the furless condition of her tail. After taking her vitals, she was placed on a truck, transported back to the open space and released.

Slim, the first mountain lion the cameras filmed, patrolling the trail.

Slim continued to frequent the canyon. Sadly, the canyon cams filmed her deteriorating—it was heartbreaking to watch. She lost weight and fur. The last time we saw her was at the end of July. A couple of months later she died. A necropsy performed by California Fish & Wildlife found she was malnourished and riddled with sarcoptic mange—both are classic signs of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning. Some months earlier she must have eaten an animal who had consumed poisoned bait or ate another poisoned animal. The anticoagulant rat poison, traveling up the food chain, compromised her immune system and finally killed her.

California Fish and Wildlife released a study documenting high concentrations of second-generation anticoagulant rat poisons in predators in California. More than 90 percent of the tested mountain lions and 88 percent of bobcats have the poisons in their systems.

Enter the lion

For months the canyon was missing an important player—a mountain lion. Then about six months after Slim died, our cameras filmed a male lion on the trail. The three canyon cams caught him, sauntering up and then back on the trails. He was the largest puma I’ve every filmed.

The large lion became a regular on the trail, marking his territories by scraping the ground with his back feet and defecating in it as well as by spraying. He makes the rounds every 2-3 months and sometimes he sticks around for a few days. It’s easy to understand why he visits the canyon—it’s full of deer. It’s good he comes by—he, like all mountain lions, is important for the health of wild eco-systems. When he eats, many others do too.

Mountain lion #2 walking the trail

Mountain lions generally kill around one deer a week, which is enough food to last a few days. Lions don’t eat the whole deer in one sitting; they enjoy many meals every day over the course of a few days if left undisturbed by humans. Between meals, they cache the remains in a shady spot, covering it with leaves and debris. In theory, this makes it harder for other predators to discover the carcass and it helps keep the meat fresher. Although it may work to some degree, even I, a human with limited smelling capacity, knows when our lion has cached his meal near the trail.  I assume that our local carnivores, including raptors, coyotes, and bobcats can also easily detect the remains and help themselves to it when the canyon lion isn’t around. All eat well when a lion does.

We have footage of Coyote 09M racing down the trail with a deer head clutched firmly in his mouth the day after our lion had a successful hunt.

Like clockwork, the lion visits the canyon every two-three months. This is the last video we have of him from last week. He doesn’t look as robust and healthy as he did on previous visits. I hope, like Slim, he didn’t eat a poisoned rodent.

A couple of days after he was filmed last week, the mountain lion was killed on the highway. Although I treasure all of them, the canyon lion has a special place in my heart and I pray it isn’t him. Too many of these magnificent animals have become the unintentional victims of urbanization. Some are killed on roads and highways, others poisoned by second-generation rodenticides. Something needs to be done to stop the killing.

*Update: I needed to know if the mountain lion was our boy, so I pestered lots of people for information. It isn’t good news no matter how it’s sliced—it’s heartbreaking when lions are killed. My persistence paid off. The puma was a female: it wasn’t the canyon lion. Although I’m happy to hear this, I’m also sad.

Join Marilyn for lively discussions about all things feline on her Facebook page.

Marilyn is a certified cat behavior consultant. Not surprisingly, she’s fascinated by feline behaviors. This started with household cats and then after witnessing a puma being killed a few blocks from her home in the suburbs, expanded to include local mountain lions and bobcats. A few years after the tragedy, she joined the Bay Area Puma Project/Felidae Conservation Fund, maintaining trail cameras, writing and helping wherever she can, while learning how urbanization is affecting the apex predators’ behaviors.

She is also an author and educator. Her book Naughty No More! focuses on solving cat behavior issues through clicker training, environmental changes as well as other positive reinforcement techniques. She gives presentations throughout the United States as well as writes columns and articles for a variety of venues. She is also frequently interviewed for print and on line publications. Additionally Marilyn is a frequent guest on television and radio and has appeared, along with her Bengals and Savannah Cat on Animal Planet, CBS, ABC, KGO and others.

The post Life Stories of Two Canyon Mountain Lions appeared first on Urban Edge Wildlife.

Summer changes

The early summer heat has begun to impact the environment. Although the creek that is adjacent to my favorite trail has dried up, there is another water source nearby that wildlife can easily access. A spring at the base of the trail consistently produces fresh, clear water. And, there still is an abundance of vegetation—food for the deer and resident rodents who in turn attract predators. It may be a different story later in the summer when the vegetation dies off.

Baby animals on the trail

Spring brought with it new life. Many youngsters, such as these skunk kits, are now old enough to accompany their mums on the trail. Although I love being entertained by them, I’m grateful that I can watch them on a computer monitor.

Our wildlife cameras have been fortunate to film deer families, including newborns, fawns and yearlings. It’s delightful to watch these youngsters bopping up the trail.

The deer are plentiful—the majority of wildlife our cameras are filming this month is deer. Camera #2 filmed these three bucks. Note the velvet on their antlers. I am assuming that they are bros.

Deer on the trail. Photo by Marilyn Krieger, CCBC

Wildlife adjusts to people

People are impacting the wildlife on the trails. Wild animals, including mountain lions and bobcats will go out of their ways to not cross paths with people. They adjust their schedules and routes in order to avoid chance encounters. It’s rare to catch glimpses of felines during the day around well hiked trails—they wait until late at night and before dawn to venture out, those times when humans are usually asleep.

Pumas adjust their schedules in order to avoid people. Photo by Marilyn Krieger, CCBC

With the days becoming warm and long, camera #4 is filming a pattern. It is capturing videos of people traipsing the path at all hours of the day, including late at night and before dawn, those times when mountain lions and bobcats are the most likely to take advantage of it.  Although there may be other factors involved, such as seasonal cycles, animals appear to be shying away from the trail as it increases in popularity with people. Recently, we’ve only filmed a couple of bobcats late at night and no lions. I suspect that I won’t see the lions again until the fall or winter—I hope I’m wrong. Check out the time stamp on this video.

Daytime activity

The trail joins with another wildlife byway that meanders through a deep canyon until it reaches Crystal Springs Reservoir. This is a protected area with two man-made lakes—the west side is wild and virtually people-free. Only rangers and the few lucky Felidae volunteers, who maintain trail cameras, occasionally venture to the west side of the lakes. Because wildlife rarely encounters humans in that protected area, they don’t need to limit their activities to late at night. These playful mountain lion youngsters and their mum were filmed at around 5:00 PM about one month ago.

Puma cubs playing during the day. Photo courtesy of Felidae Conservation Fund

Dusky-footed woodrats

This article wouldn’t be complete without checking in on the busy little woodrats. I found out this morning that these little guys are dusky-footed woodrats. Although it’s not clear how they are being impacted by the hot weather and the increase of people hiking the trail, camera #4 is filming an abundance of them being productive at night, collecting twigs to build and repair their homes. We also caught one enterprising woodrat adding on to her penthouse suite high up in a tree.

Dusky-footed woodrat home. Photo by Marilyn Krieger, CCBC

The wildlife cameras are filming changes. Most are expected, caused by the cycle of seasons. Others may be caused by an increase of people enjoying popular trails throughout the day and into the night.

 

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