Mountain Lion Kittens Found in Local Area

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National Park Service (NPS) researchers recently discovered two new mountain lion kittens born on opposite sides of the service’s research area, according to NPS Public Affairs Officer Kate Kuykendall.  

A female kitten named P-43 was found near Malibu Creek State Park in the Santa Monica Mountains and believed to be offspring from mountain lion P-23, famous from a motorcyclist’s photograph taken in 2013 showing P-23 on top of a deer in a remote area on Mulholland Highway. P-43 was found underneath thick brush in a hollowed out den after a 45-minute search.

An additional female kitten named P-44 was found in the Santa Susana Mountains, born to mountain lion P-35. 

P-35 was collared in April 2014 for GPS tracking measures and protection, and is believed to be about five years old, according to Kuykendall’s report.

Biologists take extreme precautionary measures to safely recover the kittens from the dens during the day while mothers are hunting. Health assessments, blood and tissue samples and measurements of the kittens are taken, along with marking the kittens for future research and protection.  Â