Mountain Lion Research & Protecting Livestock

Editor’s note: On the night of July 15, five goats were killed on private property inside Nisene Marks State Park. Photos showed mountain lion fur in the goat’s horn. On July 28, a monitoring camera at a neighboring home snapped a photo of a mountain lion on the prowl after midnight. Last week, on NextDoor, another three goats were reported gone. How can you protect yourself and your livestock?

Read on.

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We live in mountain lion territory.

In June, Audubon Canyon Ranch, a nonprofit based in Stinson Beach, posted a blog by Quinton Martins, a conservationist PhD from South Africa and the founder of Living with Lions in Sonoma, on protecting wildlife and livestock in mountain lion territory.

He wrote:

Recent studies by Audubon Canyon Ranch and True Wild of what mountain lions eat and the ways they interact with their prey is shedding light on these elusive predators in the San Francisco North Bay region. Through the analysis of satellite data and field observation, our researchers are gaining a better understanding of the dietary preferences and challenges faced by mountain lions. This research has revealed intriguing insights into the prey choices of mountain lions, emphasizing the need for effective animal protection measures to mitigate conflicts between humans, livestock, and wildlife.

Diet and Hunting Behavior

Overthe past year, our data has shown that black-tailed deer account for approximately 68% of the prey items recorded in the diet of mountain lions.

This finding underscores the crucial role played by black-tailed deer as a primary food source for these predators.

The study identified other prey species such as wild boar, coyotes, opossums, badgers, and even an otter.

It is important to note that the high percentage of livestock (17%) in the diet was influenced by the presence of a female mountain lion, P1, who suffered a debilitating injury from a gunshot wound and was later killed after depredating livestock.

House cats (3%) were targeted by specific lions, indicating the potential threat posed to domesticated pets, as well as the threat of disease transmission from pets to mountain lions.

The presence of fences appears to have an impact on lion hunting behavior. Lions seem to gain some benefit from the presence of high-density fencing, which can act as barriers or hurdles to deer, enabling lions to improve their foraging success. We have determined that lions are making kills about 280 feet from fences on average and we have, on several occasions, found deer (or livestock) caught up against fences.

“Mountain Lions” page 10