Mountain Lions In California Are Becoming More Nocturnal In An Effort To Avoid People
Mountain lions in California are becoming more nocturnal in an effort to avoid humans. The wildcats living in the greater Los Angeles area in regions with higher levels of human activity—hikers, cyclists, and joggers—have changed their behavior to adapt to human presence.
Researchers find this encouraging because it means that mountain lions and humans are more likely to be able to coexist.
“People are increasingly enjoying recreating in nature, which is fantastic,” said Ellie Bolas, a co-author of the study and a Ph.D. candidate in the UC Davis Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology.
“This flexibility we see in mountain lion activity is what allows us to share these natural areas together. Mountain lions are doing the work so that coexistence can happen.”
Mountain lions, also known as cougars, pumas, or panthers, are some of the largest wildcats in the United States. They hunt deer, elk, and sometimes smaller mammals like raccoons or rodents.
Mountain lions are solitary creatures. They are most active around dawn and dusk, which helps them avoid the heat.
Many of their prey species are also active at those times, increasing their chances of getting something to eat. However, mountain lions can be nocturnal, too, especially in more populated areas.
“Mountain lions are already nocturnal animals,” Bolas said. “Generally, the mountain lions that live in areas with a lot of recreation—for example, Griffith Park or the Verdugo Mountains—are less likely to be active around dawn or dusk and are more likely to be active at nocturnal times.”
“During daylight, they spend about one more hour resting as compared to the mountain lions that live in more remote areas like the Santa Susana Mountains.”
Leonardo – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
To determine the hours that mountain lions are most active, the researchers used GPS trackers to monitor 22 mountain lions living within the Santa Susana Mountains between 2011 and 2018.
Then, they compared the movement to human activity data from a fitness app called Strava. They found that the lions with more human activity in their territories did not emerge during dawn and dusk as often. Instead, they preferred to come out at night.
The most nocturnal lions in the study were two males. Both of them lived in areas surrounded by human development and recreational activity.
Female mountain lions seemed to respond differently. They were less inclined to engage in nocturnal habits than the males. The least nocturnal lion in the study was a female.
According to the researchers, male mountain lions are a threat to female mountain lions and their cubs.
The females showed evidence of avoiding habitats where males were present. It appeared that they were more likely to avoid male mountain lions than humans.
The results of the study are important because they demonstrate another way in which people are affecting wildlife.
They also highlight how amazing it is that a large felid predator can thrive in one of the world’s biggest urban areas.
The study was published in the journal Biological Conservation.
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