Dr. Walter Boyce LA CityBeat 3rd Degree

http://www.lacitybeat.com/cms/story/detail/?IssueNum=192&id=1006

DR. WALTER BOYCE
~3rd Degree~
By Annette Stark
The UC Davis wildlife expert on the mountain lion in Griffith Park, avoiding the deer, the best way to greet a big cat
In a few episodes of The Sopranos last season, a bear wandered out of the Jersey wilderness and into Tony Soprano's backyard. The show's erstwhile hero didn't name the bear or develop any rapport with it; he just sat there in his shorts with a shotgun, waiting for the elusive ursine to reappear. Fortunately, the bear was a no-show. So far, the Griffith Park mountain lion hasn't been given a proper name, either, even though the wild animal has made several high-profile appearances. Since May, the lion has been sighted on the north side of the park and in a residential Los Feliz neighborhood at the intersection of Commonwealth and Cromwell.
But here in L.A., the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife has expressed no interest in capturing and killing our lion, assures Dr. Walter Boyce, the big cat expert and UC Davis professor who runs the university's Wildlife Health Center. Last week, Griffith Park officials flew Boyce in to tour the area, evaluate the danger, calm nerves, and generally provide education and advice about how our wildlife and people can coexist in this ever-shrinking cityscape.
-Annette Stark
CityBeat: How does the mountain lion differ from other big cats?
Dr. Walter Boyce: The mountain lion, cougar, puma, catamount, panther - all those refer to the same animal - is the only large cat we have in the United States. The next size is the bobcat, which is considerably smaller. Mountain lions range from about 80 pounds for an adult female to about 150 pounds for the male. They are exquisite athletes and predators and use this athleticism to hunt by ambushing their prey. A mountain lion has a burst of energy and is fast for short distances. So they lie in wait where the prey is and then it's a quick rush and jump.
Where did our Griffith Park lion come from?
We may never know, but the two most logical choices are either the Santa Monica Mountains or the San Gabriel Mountains. There seems to be a better connection to its habitat on Mulholland Drive, which runs in a line from the Santa Monica Mountains toward Griffith Park. It wouldn't be easy for a lion to make this journey, but it's conceivable. They would use any cover that's available to them - drainage ditches and trees - they're very cryptic, secretive.
Is there a possibility that it came from someone's backyard?
Yes. There are a number of accounts back in the eastern U.S. of mountain lions being seen in places like New York State. Mountain lions used to occur there, but as far as we know there aren't any native mountain lions still living in the wild in New York. But there are a number of privately owned mountain lions in this country and sometimes people release them or they escape. But an animal that's been in captivity wouldn't know how to behave in the wild. And the reports we're getting on this, the fact that it's been seen a couple of times with a few weeks in between, fits with it being a native wild animal.
Are there others in the park?
We don't even know how many there are in California. The Department of Fish and Game estimates there are maybe four or five thousand but that's just an estimate. There's no way to count them.
You have said that the appearance of the Griffith Park lion might indicate an upswing in the mountain lion population. What would account for that?
That's just speculation on my part. There are certainly more sightings, but there are more people, making it difficult for lions to avoid us. But we really don't understand much about why the lion population goes up and down. Over the past few decades, the number of lions has increased in California. Mountain lions were killed on bounty very aggressively during the first half of the 1900s, and when that stopped, mountain lions increased. And since lions track available food, as deer numbers go up and down, the available prey goes up and down.
Is it correct to say then, as a safety precaution, avoid the deer?
Whenever you see deer in Griffith Park, or in any of the mountains around L.A., there could be a lion in the area. But I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that the lion is very close to that particular deer. Most of the time, lions will be hunting at night, dawn or dusk. It just means that the prey is nearby and you're in mountain lion habitat.
What safety precautions did you suggest to Griffith Park officials?
These are the same things that anyone who goes into the mountains in Southern California should be aware of. You're in mountain lion habitat; the times you're most likely to encounter a lion is at night, or dawn or dusk. Travel with companions. Don't let your children get out of sight. And it's always a good idea to have a cell phone in case you do have an encounter. I saw some reports making a big deal about dogs off their leashes. Mountain lions do view dogs as a prey item, but that's typically when a lion comes onto someone's property. In Griffith Park, if you do have a dog poking around, you don't know what's going to happen.
You were quoted saying that the assumption about lions being shy and reclusive is changing. Are the lions changing, or just the assumptions?
Actually, I would like to correct that. Lions are still shy and reclusive and I didn't mean to imply they aren't any longer. That fits with what this Griffith Park animal is doing. Otherwise it would have been seen more frequently. All of the research we've done in San Diego fits with the idea that the lions are still doing what they can to avoid being seen.
From the lion's perspective, what most concerns you about this situation?
Griffith Park is not a good place for a mountain lion. It's a relatively small habitat and it's difficult for a lion to stay there a long time without getting into trouble. For example, moving out into the streets and getting hit by a car, or showing up in someone's yard where it could cause alarm and a response by law enforcement. Mountain lions are a true wild animal and Griffith Park only provides a portion of what a population of lions would need long term. There is adequate food and cover, however, with dozens of deer and smaller animals, as well, which is probably why this lion has remained there this long.
Are there any plans to capture it?
There's no plan to do that. The lion really hasn't done anything that would warrant capturing. I know some people would prefer it wasn't there. But the lion is behaving the way we expect lions to behave and want them to behave. It's avoiding people. There's nothing to suggest that this lion is a public threat.
What should you do if you encounter a lion? Most Californians are never going to see a lion. The times it has been seen, the animal looked at the person and went in the other direction very quickly. That's normal. If the lion should behave in a threatening way, you basically want to act big, do whatever you need to do to show the lion that you're the aggressive, dominant animal.