California is home to a significant mountain lion population navigating an increasingly human-dominated landscape. Protecting their welfare requires addressing habitat fragmentation, conflict, and connectivity.
Mountain lions in California face welfare challenges from multiple directions. Habitat fragmentation by freeways causes animals to attempt dangerous road crossings, resulting in collisions and death. Isolated populations like the Santa Monica Mountains group suffer the welfare consequences of inbreeding: abnormal sperm, reduced immune function, and reproductive failure. Poison exposure from rodenticide use on illegal marijuana grows and in residential areas causes internal bleeding and death. Conflict with livestock leads to lethal depredation permits. The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing under construction on Highway 101 represents a major infrastructure investment that will improve genetic connectivity and reduce road mortality. Non-lethal livestock protection reduces the need for depredation kills.