Puma Profiles: P-114

Puma kittens at their den surrounded by poison oak leaves.

NPS Photo

Female

Initial capture date: May 18, 2023

Mountain lion P-77 gave birth to three female kittens in the Simi Hills, a small area of habitat between the larger Santa Monica and Santa Susana Mountain ranges. All three kittens are now known as P-113, P-114, and P-115.

Biologists located the kittens in a dense patch of poison oak nestled among large boulders. All three kittens appeared healthy.

This is the 25th litter of kittens NPS biologists have marked at the den site. Four additional litters of kittens were discovered and marked when the kittens were at least six months old and traveling with their mother.

Each visit to a den by a biologist occurs while the mother is away hunting for food, feeding, or resting. A biologist will track her movements via telemetry while others on the team approach the den area. Once the den is found, the researchers will conduct a general health assessment of the kittens a short distance away and place them back when finished. This typically takes less than an hour. 

The biologists determine the sex of each kitten, take various body measurements including weight, obtain biological samples, and place one uniquely numbered and colored ear tag in each kitten. This tag helps identify them in the future with remote cameras and when recaptured for the placement of a radio collar.

Since 2002, the National Park Service has been studying mountain lions in and around the Santa Monica Mountains to determine how they survive in a fragmented and urbanized environment. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is responsible for overseeing the management and conservation of mountain lions in the state.

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