Discovering the Griffith Park Mountain Lion (P22): Looking Back One Year Later

Background: As many of you know, in July 2011, my team (Griffith Park Connectivity Study) began an ambitious camera trap project to answer the following general question: "Is Griffith Park an island?" To answer this question we strategically placed camera traps at possible corridors that might allow wide ranging large mammals (e.g., deer, coyote, etc.) to enter and exit the park in search of mates and adequate food. Cameras were also placed in open space on the edge of the 101 freeway (both sides) to figure out what type of wildlife activity occurred at the edge of the open space adjacent to the freeway. Basically the two sets of cameras allowed us to ask the following two main questions: "Are wildlife approaching the edge of the park near possible corridors, if so, which species? Are species using freeway overpasses and/or tunnels to enter and exit the park, again if so, which species? On February 12, 2012 at 9:15 PM, we collected the ultimate evidence to prove that Griffith Park was not an island, via a mountain lion photo. The discovery of this mountain lion remains one of my proudest moments as a wildlife biologist and as an Angelino who grew up on the edge of Griffith Park. 

Mountain Lions Unlikely Residents of Griffith Park: As an under-studied park, the idea of studying the unknown was extremely exciting and made carrying heavy urban camera trap equipment (aluminum posts, steel post pounders, steel camera trap lock boxes, bolts, etc.) up steep and seemingly endless hills in the dry heat well worth it. Based on previous surveys, we knew there would be a good chance we'd capture a glimpse of a few bobcats and maybe even a gray fox if we were extremely lucky. However, documenting a mountain lion in Griffith Park seemed almost entirely out of the question, as if surveying for a mountain lion in Griffith Park was as ridiculous as hoping to document the chupacabra or bigfoot. Griffith Park is further away from bigger habitat that mountain lions are known to occupy. Unlike mountain lions, smaller and more adaptive coyotes and bobcats were the largest carnivores known to be able to take advantage of smaller patches of habitat in between Griffith Park and larger open spaces further west and north. As a result, the journey was thought to have too many physical barriers (i.e., freeways, roads, etc.) for a mountain lion to reach Griffith Park than a bobcat or coyote from a smaller patch of habitat (e.g., Stone Canyon, golf courses) at the edge of Griffith Park.  More specifically, a mountain lion would need to cross the 405 freeway (8 lane freeway), a matrix of urbanization, and finally the 101 freeway (another 8 lane highway) before reaching Griffith Park.  In fact, the 405 freeway (first obstacle) already claimed the lives of two mountain lions.  Also, unlike smaller and more adaptive urban carnivores (e.g., bobcats and coyotes) that adjust their habits to adapt to urban areas (e.g., den in backyards, hunt for rodents in residential areas), mountain lions are considered near-urban carnivores because their behavior is not different from their more rural counterparts, such as mountain lions in Yellowstone or Yosemite. Instead, mountain lions only pass through residential areas out of necessity or out of desperation to leave the territory of a larger male in search of territory of his/her own or a mate. Otherwise, they stay in the most remote areas of urban parks and specialize on hunting deer. In short, finding a mountain lion in Griffith Park was very unlikely because Griffith Park was thought to be too small and isolated from known mountain lion territories.

The Discovery: On February 29, 2012, my field assistant and I went to check on our 13 camera traps (swap memory cards, check batteries, etc.) as we normally did every 2-3 weeks. I had been pretty disappointed with photos from recent camera checks because we had not captured a bobcat on camera in quite a while. I started looking at photos from the two bobcat hotspots of our study area near Lake Hollywood. I was super anxious to see a bobcat, which resulted in a few nerdy butterflies in my stomach. At first, I was quickly going through coyote and deer pictures and then I came across and passed a picture showing the image of the massive hind-quarters of a mountain lion (displayed below). I froze and then I nervously went back to make sure I didn't hit the delete button. I gasped and stared at it for a while, astonished at the size of the animal's tail, body, and paws. I then kept going through the photos in the memory card trying to see if my mind was playing tricks on me (i.e., spent too much time in the smog and Sun) and it was just a Great Dane that got loose late at night and stood very close to the camera. However, I knew what it was from the beginning and I came to terms with it. Then I thought, "You should probably call somebody. Who should I call? I should call one of my collaborators!" I started frantically looking for my cell phone and I could not find it anywhere!! I then shouted an expletive as I realized that I left my phone in my car. I reached my phone after a quick jog to the car and got in touch with my two collaborators, Erin Boydston (USGS) and Dan Cooper (CEM, Inc.). I could not get a hold of them at first so I left an excited voice message and anxiously awaited a call back. Erin happened to be officemates with National Park Service (NPS) biologists, Seth Riley and Jeff Sikich who study and track mountain lions in the LA area. A few days later, the NPS decided that they wanted to try and trap and track what is now known as the most urban mountain lion to exist.

First P22 photo that I encountered while reviewing photos that I had just retrieved from the field. Although the photo does not show his face, this close-up photo was very "in your face," providing me with a big shock. This photo was taken a few days after the first photo even though it was the first photo I discovered. Notice that he does not have a collar or ear tags in this photo.

First photograph of a mountain lion in Griffith Park. Although this was the first photo taken of him, I actually did not find this photo until quite a while later after I got over the first photo I discovered of him. This is the only camera trap photo that showed his face so that is also why it is the most famous photo of P22. Finally viewing his face for the first time was very memorable. Notice that he does not have a collar or ear tags in this photo.Griffith Park Mountain Lion Captured, Given a Collar and a New Name: Although Griffith Park is the south eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountain range, Griffith Park is not part of the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area that is under the jurisdiction of NPS. Griffith Park is managed by the city of Los Angeles making Griffith Park unfamiliar territory for NPS biologists. Jeff Sikich requested the help of Erin and me to help him find a relatively wild and inaccessible section of the park to set out traps. We showed him a pretty wild patch of Department of Water and Power (DWP) property that was off-limits to the public.  Jeff set out traps and monitored each trap with a camera trap that sent him a text message as soon as the remote camera was triggered.  I became less and less optimistic that the mountain lion was going to be captured. As each day passed I felt that there was a small window of time that the mountain lion would be here due to the small size of the park, from a mountain lion's perspective. I volunteered to check them since I lived very close to the traps. The night before Jeff was going to show me where the traps were set I got a call at around 2:30 AM from Laurel telling me that Jeff got a photo of the mountain lion via text message indicating that the trap was sprung! I am a night-owl so I was just about to go to sleep. My wife (then fiancé) and I quickly got dressed and headed over to the DWP site. We all quietly headed into the property with our flash lights and head lamps. There were no trails, the terrain was kind of slippery and steep, and I did not have a lamp which made the hike a little tougher for me. At least that is the reason I tell people and my ego why I awkwardly fell down during the initial hike.  We arrived to a flat area near the location and Jeff went ahead with a couple interns to make sure the lion was actually in the trap and then tranquilized the mountain lion with a blowdart. The rest of us waited around talking softly amongst each other to pass the time. Laurel then spotted a perfect bobcat track and we took a bunch of pictures of it to keep our minds busy. An intern returned to give us an update saying that it was blowdarted and that they were waiting for the drugs to take effect. Jeff then came back to retrieve us and we all headed to the cat to help Jeff take samples and collar it before it was released. The obvious thing on people's mind was that we needed to work quickly before the lion woke up. Almost everybody was given some sort of task such as writing down data/notes, taking the animal's temperature, taking blood samples, saliva samples, tick samples (if any), fecal samples, administer IV fluid, weigh the cat, measure the cat's body, measure the teeth, take pictures, activate collar, and attach collar. I helped with various tasks from helping take blood, helping administer IV fluid, and holding onto the collar screws until Jeff was ready to fasten the collar. The entire experience went by extremely fast but I soaked in every second. The lion was then carried to a location on the edge of thick vegetation before it was given a wake up drug.  We all anxiously waited a safe distance away taking pictures as we watched him slowly wake up. He groggily awoke, stumbled a bit, and then vanished into the dense vegetation without looking back once. I had been to one other mountain lion capture and release and it always struck me how these big and powerful animals couldn't wait to get away from humans fast enough, no matter how dazed they felt.  After that moment, he would forever be known as P22 or Puma 22, representing the 22nd mountain lion the Santa Monica Mountains National Park Service biologists have captured.

Life After Capture as P22: Since he was collared and named P22 we learned that he did indeed come from the Santa Monica Mountains (genetic results) meaning that he must have crossed both the 405 and 101 freeways to get to Griffith Park.  So far, the NPS' GPS collars indicate that he mostly uses natural areas and remains in remote and inaccessible sections of the park during the day. He travels mostly at night and feeds on deer. Even after receiving intense media coverage (all local TV stations, LA Times front page, etc.), a song, music video, documentary, and even multiple twitter accounts, P22's life after capture has not really changed. Except for being captured again by Jeff to replace a faulty collar, he continues to nocturnally roam Griffith Park undisturbed. The media coverage of P22 was briefly intense and has continued sporadically ever since. When P22's story hit the front page of the LA Times, the media interviewed the National Park Service and my team (Griffith Park Connectivity Study) with questions of all sorts, which was exciting, rewarding, and a little stressful. As a local biologist that is somewhat connected to this special story, I feel responsible for maintaining a positive image for P22, the ultimate living ambassador for Griffith Park wildlife and urban mountain lions. I use the word living because the only other equally famous urban mountain lion is the mountain lion that was sadly gunned down in a Santa Monica office park just before the P22 story hit the media.

P22's Value to Urban Wildlife Research and Conservation: My goal is to continue to use camera traps to catch glimpses of P22 to check on his health but more importantly capture the moment when the now approximately 4 year old male decides to leave the park in search of a mate and a more spacious territory. P22's situation is unprecedented for mountain lions so every bit of information we can gather while we have the chance is extremely valuable for future urban carnivore management and conservation. Also, as this mountain lion continues to live incident-free near humans in the most urban mountain lion territory known to date, he proves that even the largest and most controversial urban carnivore species can coexist with humans when given enough space and a healthy ecosystem. Our Griffith Park Connectivity Study camera traps continue to monitor wildlife corridors on both sides of the park and we are about to begin phase 2 which will involve intense monitoring of open space on the east side of the park. Meanwhile, myself and other biologists continue to be impressed with how well P22 has been able to adapt to the park and that he has decided to stay for so long. Initially, his arrival to the park was the ultimate sign that Griffith Park was well-connected to the west which was very informative in itself. P22 continues to exhibit natural behavior (e.g., avoiding people) and stay healthy (e.g., finding enough deer) after being in the park for over a year, which is the ultimate evidence that Griffith Park is a healthier ecosystem and critical oasis for wildlife than once thought. Hopefully the P22 story and information revealed from our research will convince people that humans can peacefully coexist with wildlife if they treat LA's remaining urban parks with respect.

 

Griffith Park Connectivity Study (Griffith Park Camera Trap Research): Donate to the Friends of Griffith Park (Att: Griffith Park Connectivity Study) 

National Park Service local Mountain Lion Research: Donate to the Santa Monica Mountains Fund

Jaguar Re-Captured and Endangered Tapir Photographed by Camera Traps in Western Nicaragua

The first phase of research ends on a very good note with the re-capture of a jaguar captured months earilier in a different region of the Colon forests of southwestern Nicaragua. Fortunately the previous set of photos were of the same side of the jaguar walking in the same direction.  We matched up the jaguar's unique rosatte and spot markings (like fingerprints) with the previous set of photos.  The discovery of only one jaguar in this portion of the study area makes sense because jaguars are solitary and territorial big cats that defend large areas. Also, lake Nicaragua acts as a formidable boundary limiting the opportunity for overlap with other neighboring jaguar territories. The first phase also ended with the discovery of a Baird's tapir along with more documentations of ocelots, jaguarundis, tamanduas, coatis, agoutis, pacas, armadillos, rabbits, opossums, skunks, and raccoons. 

 

Aside from the jaguar re-capture, the discovery of Baird's tapir is most exciting because they are the largest mammal of central America and sadly listed as an endangered species by IUCN's Red list.  These fascinating animals live in dense jungles close to water.  They are great swimmers and can even use their long and flexible snout like a snorkel with the rest of their body submerged.  Their only predators are adult jaguars and American crocodiles.  Tapirs have even been known to use their big size to survive attacks from jaguars and crocodiles.  Tapirs may seem related to elephants because of their large prehensile snout but they are actually most closely related to horses and rhinoceroses. Similar to jaguars, habitat loss is the main threat to their survival but they also have been known to contract diseases from livestock, illegally hunted for food with minimal penalties from authorities.  Also, their gestation period lasts a lengthy 13 months and the single offspring stays with the mom for up to two years (born with stripes and resemble fuzzy watermelons).   Therefore the combination of a low recruitment rate, habitat loss, disease and some hunting pressure makes them very vulnerable to extinction. We hope habitat protection and restoration for jaguars will also benefit the endangered Baird's tapir.  It is definitely a gift to get a photo of this endangered species because you hope it won't be the last photograph and that such information will help preserve it for future generations.

The cameras were removed this week after 4 months of intensive surveying. We began our survey with the most contiguous and wild section of the study area so we could estimate what to possibly expect for the remainder of the more fragmented study area. Although the cameras documented a great deal of biodiversity, the majority of the photos have been of local farmers, cows, dogs, and even poachers, which provided us with a sobering reality check.  The take home message is that enough biodiversity and connectivity remains in this section of the corridor. Therefore, we are hopeful that the species we've documented, especially wide ranging indicator species are resilient and adaptive enough to persist in the portions of the study area further up the isthmus. Finally, it is clear that the time for restoration, habitat protection, sustainable livestock management, and especially local outreach education is NOW.

We are in the process of raising more funds to support the continuation of monitoring of the remainder of the corridor and also to invest in the implementation of equally (if not more) important outreach education to the local community. These programs would not only educate the public of the monetary and intrinsic value of jaguars and biodiversity but also educate locals how to coexist with jaguars while still making a living.

The first phase of this project again would not have been possible without the hard work and local knowledge of our camera trap monitor Marvin, Colon community leaders, local guides, and Paso Pacifico rangers. Together, they helped us find the best camera sites in Colon, protected cameras, and even recovered some stolen camera traps. We also greatly appreciate the generous donations of the Los Angeles Zoo, U.S. Forest Service Institute of Tropical Forestry, Ruckus Roots, Petridish, and generous donations from the general public. I know we just past the holiday season but please consider donating (http://pasopacifico.org/catalog.html?Vl=10&Tp=2) or even sharing the link to this blog so that this project can continue with a minimal delay. Thank you for your support.

Gray Foxes Photographed in Griffith Park: A Mysterious and Overlooked Urban Carnivore

Local Angelinos are just beginning to get used to the fact that bobcats and a mountain lion live in Griffith Park. Some locals are even still amazed that raccoons, skunks, and coyotes are thriving in the park. Now Angelinos can begin wrapping their heads around the fact that a population of gray foxes still remain in the park.   

Gray Fox Basics:

Gray foxes are fascinating Canids (i.e., belong to dog family) that are one of only two Canid species that climb trees.  The only other tree-climbing Canid is the Raccoon dog of Asia.  Their hooked claws allow them to climb trees to escape danger or to find a home high up in the cavity of a tree.   They are monogomous and do not live in packs like coyotes.  Similar to coyotes, their omnivorous diet (fruit, small mammals) and adaptable behavior allow them to take advantage of urban and wild settings of North, Central, and South America.  Gray foxes seem to either thrive in very spacious natural areas or very isolated or small fragments of habitat without coyotes.  The key to their survival seems to be the density of coyotes and the amount of natural hiding places (e.g., shrubs, trees) available to hide from predators (e.g., bobcats, coyotes, mountain lions), but especially from coyotes. Coyotes are larger and have been known to displace or directly kill gray foxes because of their overlapping diets and habitat preferences in urban areas.  For instance, they were very common in a study site I worked at in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Northern California, where coyote density is not as high as Griffith Park due to the amount of space and woody ecosystem.  However, they seem to not be as common or totally absent from isolated urban parks I worked at in Orange County that supported dense coyote populations. 

 

Local Gray Fox Situation:

 We are excited to inform Griffith Park supporters that the Griffith Park Connectivity study camera traps documented a gray fox.  Prior to this, the Griffith Park Natural History Survey discovered tracks in 2007 and then Laurel Serieys of UCLA accidentally captured one in a bobcat trap in 2010 during her bobcat disease and anticoagulant study.  Due to a scarcity of research, it is unknown exactly why they are rarely seen or seemingly absent from entire LA and southern California urban wildlands but high coyote density and a scarcity of woodland habitat may tell most of the story.  Based on reportings by LA Zoo staff of a mating pair in the LA Zoo and an additional documentation by citizen scientist, Matt Whitmire (http://griffithparktrailcam.com/page/5), we know at least three patches of habitat where they continue to exist.  The most logical oasis for gray foxes in Griffith Park is the LA Zoo because coyotes are excluded from the zoo for the safety of animals on exhibit.  However, bobcats and gray foxes can easily enter zoo property.  Outside of Griffith Park, gray foxes are known to live in the remainder of the less isolated mountain ranges of the LA area (e.g., Santa Monica mountains, San Gabriel mountains, Verdugo Hills, etc.) as well as some isolated fragments in LA.  An orphaned gray fox was even discovered in a gutter in South Central LA!!!  Some gray foxes seek refuge from coyotes in smaller urban parks and man-made/manicured habitat like orchards or golf courses where they face protective farmers and landscapers that use rat poisons or other lethal means to protect their property.  The handful of urban gray fox studies suggest that gray foxes prefer the interiror of natural areas and that even urban gray foxes require access to some open space with native habitat.

 

Although we feel very fortunate that Griffith Park is still vast and healthy enough to support gray foxes, it is unknown how many are left or if the population is sustainable.  At the moment the resources are not available for scientists to do a LA or Griffith Park Gray Fox study but hopefully the opportunity for such an effort will come around sometime soon.  Meanwhile dedicated local citizens are purchasing their own camera traps and utilizing social media such as http://griffithparktrailcam.com/ and http://www.cougarmagic.com/ to document gray fox and urban carnivore behavior and presence in the LA area with the intent of introducing the urban community to the amazing urban wildlife LA has to offer. 

 

Jaguar Crossing Up Ahead: Jaguar Caught on Camera in Western Nicaragua

Well....we did it!!!  Our hiking, crawling, climbing, and swimming in search of ideal jaguar habitat and travel routes has paid off!!  After 2 months of continuous sampling in the El Toro forest of Colon (southeastern end of our study area) we have photos of a jaguar!!!  The photos may be a little blurry but couldn't be more beautiful and unmistakable.  Marvin, our talented and hard-working field biologist, just returned from checking the cameras in the field.  Kim (Director of Conservation Science at Paso Pacifico) greeted him in Managua and they eagerly skimmed through some of the photos to search for jaguars and other cool mammal photos.  I was in southern California frequently checking my emails throughout the day while doing field work, hoping for good news.   Of the 26 cameras that remain (1 destroyed, 3 stolen) we knew that this camera would be one of the first cameras that should be checked.  We have high expectations for this camera location because we found jaguar prints on the game trail directly in front of the camera.  Despite the recent killing of some jaguars in the Colon area these prints gave us hope that at least one and hopefully more would soon be discovered by our camera traps. 

Needless to say, our work is not done.  There are more corridors to survey in the Paso del Istmo and many struggling wildlife populations still to discover.  These jaguar photos along with future photos will prove that these corridors are very deserving and in need of conservation attention.  Such attention would also benefit the struggling communities that share their backyards with these big cats.  We would be able to teach them the economic, ecological and intrinsic values of a local jaguar population and how to coexist with these beautiful and important top predators.  The largest cat in the western hemisphere is being put to the test but is managing to hang on in areas where they are seemingly on the brink of local extinction.  However, it is uncertain how much more habitat loss and poaching the populations can endure.  Camera trap research is one of many conservation efforts we owe to the resilient jaguar and Paso del Istmo of Nicaragua.

This work would not be possible without the generous donations by the Los Angeles Zoo, U.S. Forest Service International Institute of Tropical Forestry, and generous people who care about the struggling wildlife and people of western Nicaragua.  We have nearly exhausted the initial start up funds for our jaguar study.  Please help us continue this important research by clicking here and donating.  Thanks for continuing to follow my blog and my conservation efforts in Nicaragua and Los Angeles.

First round of pics are in: No jags yet but off to a great start!!!

When I left Nicaragua, we only had 9 of the 30 camera traps on hand.  Nonetheless, our team was still very anxious to see what we got so far.  Our field-savvy biologist recovered some initial photos from Colon.  Although no jaguars yet, we did detect a couple very interesting wild cat species.  We discovered the ocelot and the jaguarundi!! "Jaguar-que?" or "Jaguar-what?" is the typical response or else I get a look of confusion when I tell people the news. These two small cat species are similar in size and specialize on hunting prey smaller than themselves such as small mammals, birds, fish, crabs, frogs, insects and lizards.  They both use their sleek bodies and camouflage to blend into the forest undergrowth as they stalk their prey.  Once they get close enough to where they feel they are as close as they can get without being noticed, they quickly pounce on their prey.  They both specialize on hunting on the ground and are comfortable climbing trees and swimming but the ocelot is known to be an exceptional climber and swimmer.

 

Some Other Cool Differences are the Following:

Lineage: Ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) are the largest members of the genus Leopardus which includes other central and south American small spotted cats such as the margay, Geoffrey's cat, and oncilla.  In fact, ocelots closely resemble margays and oncillas with size being the main noticeable difference.

Jaguarundis (Puma yagouaroundi) are the only other members of genus Puma besides mountain lions (Puma concolor, a.k.a cougar or puma).  Yes-this odd-looking cat species is the most closely related to P22 in Griffith park than any other cat species! (Side note: pumas are not considered part of the genus belonging to big cats (Panthera), and one main characteristic the puma doesn't share with the big cats is that it can't roar).  Unlike the ocelot, the jaguarundi's appearance is probably the most unlike that of a cat more than any other cat species.

Physical Features and Behavior of the Jaguarundi and Ocelot:

The most obvious difference is that the jaguarundi comes in one of two uniform colors, either chestnut brown or a greyish black.  The jaguarundi also has a distinctly weasel or otter-like elongated body and long tail.  The jaguarundi's ears are also pretty round and small in proportion to the rest of the body.  As a result, it is also known as the "otter cat."  

The ocelot is known in Nicaragua as "tigrillo" and is also known as the dwarf leopard because of its beautiful black markings.  The undercoat can range from reddish brown to greyish but all have unique black markings (rosettes, spots, stripes).  I hope to use the distinct arm-band on the ocelot's left front leg to see if we re-capture him/her on the same or another one of our camera traps.

Hours of Activity: 

The ocelot is primarily nocturnal (active at night) whereas the jaguarundi is primarily diurnal (active during the day).  The detection of jaguarundis was exciting because it is less popular than jaguars or even ocelots, offering me the excuse to learn and share interesting facts about this fascinating species.  I was even inspired to name our new black kitten "Rundi" (short for jaguarundi) because we discovered her at a local shelter the same day I discovered the camera trap photo of the jaguarundi.  Her tail also seems longer than the average kitten, making her an exceptional cat just like the jaguarundi.

Some other notable mammals that we captured on camera so far include agouti (small rodent), rabbits, armadillo, and local Nicaraguans.  The other camera traps are almost all installed so a ton of exciting photos should be coming in soon...