dan’s outside

There is a very interesting article at SFGate describing how UCSC researchers are tracking mountain lions in the Santa Cruz mountains and the surrounding areas:

Led by researchers from UC Santa Cruz, the project is the first attempt to track Bay Area mountain lions, which are being seen in greater numbers as urban areas spread into the region’s wildlands.

For the next three years, the team will track their behavior and movements in the Santa Cruz Mountains – including mating habits, favored prey, survival needs and travel routes. Researchers hope to expand the study for several more years after that to include the Diablo Range and the North Bay.

Given the close proximity of these magnificent animals to the human population of the Bay Area (not to mention the proximity to a number of university research programs) it is very surprising that no one has done this in the past.