A mountain lion kitten was struck and killed by a car Monday on Kanan Dume Road, south of the 101 Freeway, according to National Parks Service authorities.
The kitten was not tagged by biologists at the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA), leaving open the possibility that there are more uncollared lion kittens in the area.
Samples of DNA from the kitten, which was about three or four months old, are currently being tested by UCLA in the hopes of identifying the father. Specialists also hope the genetic testing will give some details about the mother of the killed kitten.
Earlier this month, The Malibu Times reported that kittens born in the Santa Monica Mountains in November were the result of inbreeding. According to officials at SMMNRA, this inbreeding is an indication that local mountain lions cannot cross busy freeways to diversify their gene pool.