Pumas thrive in the mountains above Silicon Valley. We generally only hear about them when there’s trouble—like the 2014 attack on a 6-year-old boy in Cupertino, the first documented attack in the area in 105 years—but the fact that these apex predators are able to make a living in our backyard is virtual proof that what we’ve got is a relatively healthy ecosystem. And that’s partly thanks to the pumas themselves.
Over the past year or so, Hilltromper’s Brendan Bane has written a series of articles that can give you a pretty solid understanding of these big cats, and of some of the individuals and organizations working to help them. Each of them is a great read, too.
Mountain Lion: Cat of Many Names
Also known as pumas, cougars, panthers or catamounts, mountain lions can grow to 9 ft long, weigh over 200 pounds, jump fences as high as 22 feet and leap 30 feet horizontally. Read everything you might want to know about the big cats in less than 7 minutes.
Why Does The Puma Cross The Road?
The instinct to roam is key to the mountain lion's evolutionary success. Conservationists hope a wildlife crossing under Highway 17 will make the journey less deadly.
Mountain lions get shot for following their instinct to predate. Protecting our small animals can help save the pumas.
How To Capture A Mountain Lion
The Santa Cruz Puma Project uses hounds to track and capture mountain lions, but the practice has come under pressure since the state's 2012 ban on hunting with dogs.
UCSC Researchers Have a Mountain Lion Kitten
A newborn mountain lion has entered the world and been enlisted in UCSC’s Santa Cruz Puma Project. By tracking her progress, scientists hope to learn how best to conserve the kitten’s species.
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