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| You call those pumas, those mountain cougars, "lions"? Ha, this is a lion, right, Felix Kitty? |
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Santa Monica Mountains resident P-54 (a mountain lion or puma) has given birth to what scientists believe is her first litter, three mountain lion kittens that may bring genetic diversity much needed in the area, officials announced today.
National Park Service researchers found the litter after noticing GPS locations indicating that three-year-old P-54 was either feeding at a kill site or that she has given birth about three months ago.
More than four months ago, she was “located” with P-63, the only collared adult male in these mountains, for two days, according to park officials.
Soon, biologists found three healthy kittens: two males, which they called P-82 and P-83, and one female, P-84. The scientists tagged the trio, which were estimated to be 19 days old at the time.
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| What the hell are you looking at? Intruder, intruder! Roar! Grrrrrr. Mommy, help! |
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| Nature Conservancy (nature.org) |
The researchers then took some samples for genetic testing before returning the kittens to their den, NPS said.
The litter [of "murder cats"] is also likely the first fathered by P-63, which researchers captured and collared with his mother in February 2018 north of the 101 Fwy in the Simi Hills. He was about 15 months old at the time, according to NPS.
P-64 has since crossed the 101 Fwy three times and has stayed at the Santa Monica Mountains since December 2018, NPS said.
Park officials believe the last litter of kittens found at a den in 2018 were likely conceived through inbreeding (incest), a serious problem faced by mountain lions isolated in the Santa Monica Mountains south of the 101 Fwy, biologist Jeff Sikich said in a statement from NPS.
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| World's most beautiful lion twins (PCN) |
A bridge over the 101 Fwy would connect Santa Monica Mountains’ cougars to the larger and more genetically-diverse population to the north.
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| I think I'm related to those twins |
P-54’s offspring are the 17th litter of mountain lion kittens marked at a den site since the National Park Service began studying the animals in 2002. Source
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