Young mountain lion gets GPS collar, just like mom’s

Conservation biologists and educators from Audubon Canyon Ranch have fitted a second mountain lion, a 12-month-old female, with a GPS collar after a temporary capture on property bordering Annadel State Park.

“Named P2 (Puma 2) for our scientific records, the mountain lion weighs about 70 pounds and is in extremely good health,” said Dr. Quinton Martins, ACR’s lead researcher on the project. “Mom (P1) has been feeding her well!”

The mountain lion is estimated to be about a year old, and soon to disperse from its mother, who was tagged last month.

“The team worked exceptionally hard to make this capture and it finally paid off,” said John Peterson, ACR executive director.

After outfitting the lion with a GPS collar, recording measurements and collecting biological samples for analysis, the research team released the mountain lion at the capture site.

The ACR’s tagging program is under a Scientific Collection permit issued by California Department of Fish and Wildlife in July.

Monitoring the “dispersal behavior,” or how the two females interact once the juvenile leaves her mother’s side,  “will give us significant insight into their population dynamic, ” Martins said. Evidence of survival or causes of mortality are important data as well.

Results of this work will be closely monitored by CDFW, providing critical information for its statewide mountain lion conservation program.

ACR’s researchers used a humanely-designed cage trap to capture the juvenile mountain lion. The trap was fitted with a satellite trap transmitter as well as motion-activated cameras, allowing the team to be notified instantly once the mountain lion was inside minimizing stress and possible injury to the animal. Biological samples will be analyzed at UC Davis, and will provide vital genetic and health information about the local population of mountain lions.

The ACR Mountain Lion Project studies mountain lions within an area that encompasses approximately 1,000 square miles, primarily in the Mayacamas Mountains (areas east of Hwy 101 and west of Hwy 29) in Sonoma and Napa Counties, and pairs the research with extensive education and outreach programs. Project partners include the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California State Parks, Sonoma County Regional Parks, and Sonoma Land Trust.