After a 2018 wildfire, mountain lions near Los Angeles, California, were more likely to cross roads, travel further and be active during the daytime 鈥� when encounters with people are most likely. The shift to bolder behaviour concerns researchers, who note increasing wildfires may jeopardise the urban cats鈥� future.
The wooded Santa Monica mountains north of Los Angeles are home to , which, despite being bordered by large highways and human development, have managed to survive by hunting mule deer.
鈥淭his [mountain lion] population is really special, not just because it鈥檚 very much beloved of the people鈥� but because it鈥檚 a population that鈥檚 very much at risk,鈥� says , now at Cal Poly Pomona in California.
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This unique group of cats has been studied for two decades and many of the animals are continually tracked with GPS and activity monitor collars. After the 2018 scorched more than 400 square kilometres of land 鈥� roughly half of the cats鈥� habitat 鈥� researchers compared movement data from 17 mountain lions before and after the blaze.
They found significant differences in the mountain lions鈥� behaviour after the fire. In the 15 months following the blaze, the cats鈥� average number of road crossings jumped from three to five per month, and their monthly distance travelled increased from 250 kilometres to 390 kilometres. The mountain lions were also more likely to come into close contact with other mountain lions, which can lead to fighting between the solitary cats. The researchers believe these changes probably reflect their desire to stay away from other mountain lions and a desperation to find and hunt food without the camouflage of vegetation.
鈥淭he size and location of this fire really lent itself to asking some of those bigger questions about the interaction of fire and urbanisation,鈥� says at San Diego State University in California, who was not involved in the work. 鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to have that confirmation and understanding of what鈥檚 happening, so we can better take action on it.鈥�
Because there have been in the area in recent years, the discovery underscores the value of corridors and highway overpasses that could help local mountain lions and other local wildlife move and hunt safely.
Current Biology
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