California Cougar

Cougars need space to roam and the freeway system near the Santa Monica Mountains has cut into their habitat. Learn how #SaveLACougars aims to help.

Transcript

Peter Gros: Cougars need a large range and California is full of freeways.

David Mizejewski: So if you happen to be a cougar that is living in that sort of Los Angeles ecosystem, particularly the Santa Monica mountain lion or cougar population, you have to cross roads like the busy 101 or the 405. And if you’ve ever driven in LA, you know how busy and crazy those roads can be for people in cars. So let alone, this elusive big predator that’s trying to navigate the landscape there.

Peter Gros: The good news is that the National Wildlife Federation is spearheading a project to create an overpass so mountain lions and other wildlife can circumvent the traffic and be able to connect with their contiguous wildlife areas.

David Mizejewski: That’s right, because when we fragment wildlife habitat, their populations decline, particularly with species like the cougar that really do have such wide ranges. And so that’s really what National Wildlife Week is all about this year. It’s all about celebrating, America’s Big Back Yard, where we share our space with wildlife. So I hope everybody goes right now and takes the pledge.