Tag: mountain lion

Mountain Lion Latrines and a Scent Dog

The highly-tuned nose of a talented scent dog found mountain lion latrines at the rim of the canyon. Latrines are spots where pumas, often family groups, will repeatedly defecate; they are the mountain lion equivalent of toilets, except instead of flushing, pumas cover their excrement in these locations. But, lions don’t arbitrarily choose places for […]

Why Steal a Wildlife Research Trail Camera?

Dusky footed wood rat home.

Why steal a research trail camera in the canyon where we are recording wildlife? That stolen trail camera was an important conservation tool and the videos it recorded helped educate the public about the impact of urbanization on our local wildlife. And, the footage was also appreciated by the community. Neighbors who live at the […]

A Wildlife Oasis in Suburbia

Puma mom and cub in a wildlife oasis

The 88-acre canyon is a wildlife oasis, regularly visited by puma, coyote, deer and other animals, located in the middle of a suburban landscape. It is shoehorned between homes and businesses, perched on the rim of the canyon, bordered by busy roads and separated from other similar, small wild spaces. Fragments of the Wild Although […]

Social Distancing Mountain Lion Style

Puma scraping

It isn’t a coincidence that there are a number of small mounds of leaves, twigs and soil grouped in a clearing surrounded by tall redwood trees and oaks.  They’re not random; the piles, called community scrapes, were intentionally made by mountain lions. These unobtrusive clumps of forest detritus can be vital for mountain lions to […]