Litter of kittens provides hope for Los Angeles mountain lions after dreadful year

After a devastating twelvemonth for Los Angeles upland lions, researchers person made a hopeful find successful the confederate California hills: an all-female litter of kittens.

Biologists recovered the 3 cubs past week successful what the National Park Service described arsenic a “dense spot of poison oak nestled among ample boulders” successful betwixt the Santa Monica and Santa Susana Mountain ranges. The kittens, conscionable implicit 3 weeks aged and known arsenic P-113, P-114 and P-115, are healthy, the NPS said successful a statement.

“It’s encouraging to spot reproduction successful our tiny colonisation of upland lions, particularly aft each the mortalities we person documented successful the past year,” said Jeff Sikich, the pb tract biologist of the NPS upland lion study, which since 2002 has looked astatine however the animals past successful a fragmented and urbanized environment.

Fifteen upland lions person died successful the survey country since march 2022, Sikich told the Los Angeles Times, the bulk aft being deed by vehicles. Among those killed past twelvemonth was Los Angeles’ beloved P-22, erstwhile called the Brad Pitt of upland lions, who for a decennary famously roamed successful municipality metropolis neighborhoods and underneath the Hollywood sign.

Two pistillate upland lion kittens seen adjacent a stone successful Simi Hills successful May 2023. Photograph: AP

The trio of kittens were calved to P-77, who biologists estimation is betwixt 5 and six years aged and lives successful betwixt the engaged 101 and 118 freeways. The begetter apt came from the Santa Susana Mountains and has since returned, the NPS said.

“It volition beryllium absorbing to larn however these kittens volition usage the scenery erstwhile they get older and disperse, peculiarly if they determine to enactment successful the Simi Hills oregon transverse freeways to participate larger earthy areas,” said Sikich.

National Park Service (NPS) biologists announced upland lion P-77 precocious gave commencement to 3 pistillate kittens. Photograph: AP

Researchers visited the den portion the parent was distant and conducted a abbreviated wide wellness appraisal of the kittens a abbreviated region distant earlier returning them. The biologists besides tagged each kitten, which volition assistance place them successful the future.

This is the 3rd litter researchers person documented successful in the area. The mothers of the erstwhile litters from 2018 and 2020 are some present deceased. The past 2 big males who researchers regularly tracked successful the Simi Hills person some died, 1 successful the December 2018 Woolsey Fire and different aft being poached successful July 2019, the NPS said successful its statement.

Highways airs a terrible menace to upland lions – 535 died connected California highways betwixt 2015 and 2022. Southern California hopes to alleviate this with an $87m wildlife crossing, nether operation implicit a 10-lane agelong of the 101 freeway, that volition link 2 parts of the Santa Monica mountains, allowing creatures similar the caller litter of kittens to transverse safely.