UCLA researchers Rachel Blakey, Daniel Blumstein, and Seth Riley contributed to a study showing wildfires put pressure on mountain lions to take deadly risks in search of suitable habitats, leading to dangerous encounters with human-built infrastructure and rival mountain lions. The study’s findings, based on location and activity data from National Park Service tracking collars on about a dozen cougars, along with data on the fire and local terrain, illustrate just how disruptive wildfires can be for local mountain lion populations. 

“The mountain lions we live alongside in L.A. are already taking their chances with roads and other mountain lions,” Blakey said. “The Woolsey Fire, by further limiting the space they have, really intensified those risks.”

The mountain lion known as P-61 is an example of this phenomenon. P-61 left the area where it was raised to establish its own home range. However, after his habitat was damaged due to wildfires, he ventured east from the Santa Monica Mountains across the 405 freeway. This feat was the first recorded successful crossing of the nation’s busiest roadway by a cougar. He quickly found himself in a physical confrontation with an adult male in the hills east of the freeway, and attempting to retreat across the 405, he was struck by a vehicle and killed. Other causes of wildfire harm include starvation and injury, as reported with the case of P-64. 

“We need to do whatever we can to increase habitat connectivity, reduce the effect of massive fires and make sure we still have these magnificent animals in the park and in the region, for future generations,” Riley said.

Read more about UCLA’s study on animal response to wildfires at UCLA Newsroom.

Study Authors:

Rachel Blakey, UCLA La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Daniel Blumstein, UCLA La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Seth Riley, UCLA La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Jeff Sikich, National Parks Service

Image Source: Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area