Mountain lions in southern California are facing an uncertain future as urbanisation forces them to live in isolated groups, and suffer a severe loss of genetic diversity.
Scientists from the University of California’s Davis School of Veterinary Medicine carried out genetic sampling of 354 mountain lions, or pumas, across California, including 97 from the southern part of the state.
They found pumas in the Santa Ana Mountains lived in what is an essentially isolated area and displayed lower genetic diversity than those from nearly every other region in the state.
This is because say the scientists their range is surrounded by urbanisation and a growing population of about 20 million people. The range is linked with the Peninsular Range via a small wildlife corridor, but pumas avoid it as it is bisects a busy 10-lane highway and is associated human development – hardly incentives to venture there.
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