Trail camera captures something conservationists could only dream of!
A group dedicated to conserving mountain lions successfully caught a family of these elusive creatures on trail cameras after months of tracking, strategizing, and anticipating their appearance.
The heartwarming sight of the family, which included adorable cubs, was captured as they roamed through the snowy mountains of Utah in February. The mother mountain lion is seen on the cameras first, carefully examining her surroundings and detecting any potential danger. Shortly after, a furry, spotted cub playfully jumps into view beside her, while two more emerge from the trees, bounding with joy.
“They’re finally here!” Utah Mountain Lion Conservation wrote on a video posted to YouTube. “A few months ago, our trail cameras captured a male and a female mountain lion together. Since that day, we’ve anxiously been awaiting the arrival of these kittens! With any luck, we’ll see more of them on our trail cameras soon!”
Denise M. Peterson – founder of the Utah Mountain Lion Conservation, put a lot of efforts in this, so naturally she was extremely excited about the sighting. “I was over-the-moon excited,” she said. “We’ve been running cameras in this area for more than a year and a half and have anxiously been awaiting the arrival of these tiny kittens.”
It’s estimated by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources that there are roughly 2,500 mountain lions residing in Utah. Yet, due to the elusive nature of these felines, it’s challenging to determine an exact count. Hunting in the area has increased in recent times, leading to a decline in mountain lion populations, as noted by Peterson. The survival rates for mountain lion cubs are generally low, making the sight of three healthy ones captured on camera especially thrilling. Peterson highlights that the kittens will remain with their mother for 18 to 24 months, during which she will impart crucial skills to them, such as hunting, stalking, prey selection, caching, and identifying areas to avoid.