A livestock guardian dog walks his property in Grand County, Colorado. Photo credit: Brent Lyles
Register now for our December Living with Lions webinar:
Onward in 2025, for the Lions!
Wednesday, December 18 at 12pm PT via Zoom
The nature of our mission to save America’s lion often means that for every three steps forward, we stumble backwards a few paces. In 2024, we witnessed incredible milestones for cougar protections, but we also saw devastating set-backs. What is the state of mountain lion protection in 2024? What are our causes for concern and what are our reasons to hope in 2025?
Join Executive Director, R. Brent Lyles, as he reflects on the work of the Mountain Lion Foundation this year and shares his vision for our work going forward to ensure that mountain lions survive and thrive in the wild.
R. Brent Lyles is Executive Director of the Mountain Lion Foundation. Brent began his professional journey teaching middle-school science in rural North Carolina. Since that time, Brent’s career has focused on science education, compassionate and inclusive leadership, and environmental stewardship.
He holds master’s degrees in biological anthropology and not-for-profit management. Before joining the team at the Mountain Lion Foundation in 2022, Brent served as executive director at several not-for-profit organizations in Austin, Texas, and the San Juan Islands, Washington. Other experiences include playing in mediocre rock bands, management consulting, writing national science textbooks, and, as a young person, dreaming about someday seeing a mountain lion in the wild.
PumaGuard uses AI to accurately detect mountain lions on trail cameras and triggers sensory deterrents to keep them away from livestock. | Graphic courtesy of Aditya Viswanathan
Human development and increasingly frequent and intense wildfires have disrupted wildlife habitats in western and southwestern states like New Mexico. When habitat becomes fragmented, there can be more conflicts between people, livestock, and displaced carnivores like mountain lions. Studies suggest that the sound of human voices, especially when combined with other sensory experiences like flashing lights and sporadic loud noises, are an especially effective method for keeping mountain lions away from livestock. “Stacking” deterrent methods on top of human voices has proven so effective that some sheep and goat ranchers keep a transistor radio tuned to talk radio near their flocks. The sound of humans acts as a first line of defense; if that first deterrent fails to keep a lion at a distance, then flashing motion lights, loud sonic devices, and/or livestock guardian dogs inside an electrified fence will likely do the trick. Stacking deterrent methods, as opposed to using just one that may not deter every lion every time, has proven to be a very effective way to keep both livestock and lions safe.
What if ranchers could target their deterrent stacks so that they’re activated only when there really is a mountain lion around (as opposed to a neighbor walking by)? Light and sound deterrents are most often motion-activated. That means that they’re triggered indiscriminately by movement, which may or may not come from a mountain lion. Deterrent stacks are effective; they are also the broadest-stroke approach to keeping away elusive, usually solitary feline carnivores.
Aditya Viswanathan, a sophomore, and his team of seven fellow high schoolers are refining the art and science of mountain lion deterrence. Aditya and his teammates are members of the Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC) Nature Youth Group in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Their invention, called PumaGuard, is a machine learning application that detects and identifies, with 99% accuracy, mountain lions on trail cameras. When a puma is detected on camera, PumaGuard automatically triggers multiple deterrent methods in the exact area of the cat. Aditya and his team are testing the effectiveness of their tool at stables in Los Alamos stables near the students’ homes and where livestock-lion conflicts have persisted for a decade.
Members of the PEEC Nature Youth Group with Aditya Viswanathan (center back) | Photo by Ryan Ramaker, Los Alamos Daily Post
Using the Xception architecture, the algorithm achieved 99% training accuracy, 91% validation accuracy, and successfully identified pumas at the site. Our method can be deployed on a Raspberry Pi and processes images from multiple trail cameras via a local WiFi network, which enables near real-time detection. Once pumas are detected, the platform can trigger multiple mitigation responses, such as lights or sounds. This economical, scalable solution is simple to implement and holds promise as a globally applicable method for reducing predator-livestock conflicts while promoting coexistence. – Aditya Viswanathan
PumaGuard has already garnered impressive awards for the social impact and sophistication of its deployment of machine learning. It was one of four projects to win an award in the high school track of NeurIPS, the world-renowned AI conference. Of the 330 projects submitted by high school teams around the world, PumaGuard was recognized for its creative approach to the competition’s theme of how machine learning can have a positive benefit on society.
Since winning the award, Aditya has represented his team at conservation and AI conferences across North America. In October, he was featured as a speaker at the International Wildlife Coexistence Conference. In December, he is traveling to Vancouver, Canada to present PumaGuard and receive the NeurIPS award for his team. We are lucky to have him as our January Living with Lions Webinar guest to talk about how he, his team, and his fellow young adults are creatively and proactively protecting wildlife for their generation and beyond.
Fun fact: Aditya’s dad is Hari Viswanathan, the physicist and camera trapper who was featured in our 2025 Annual Calendar and our April Living with Lions webinar called Mountain Lion Spying 101.
Image of California mountain lion by Collin Eckert
During this past year, the Mountain Lion Foundation has enjoyed success — and faced continuing challenges. Here at the Mountain Lion Foundation, we deeply appreciate the support of our dedicated members as we work to ensure that our cougars not only survive but thrive in the wild.
Utah: In Utah, we are pursuing our lawsuit to get Utah’s HB469, one of the most dangerous laws for mountain lions in recent memory, overturned. We expect it to move forward to oral arguments in early 2025. In the meantime, we’re continuing to work with our partners like Utah Mountain Lion Conservation to educate Utahns about the importance of mountain lions and the risks of overhunting them.
Colorado: By now, you know that Colorado’s Prop 127, a ballot initiative to protect Colorado’s mountain lions from trophy hunting, was not successful. The good news is that the coalition behind that campaign, Cats Aren’t Trophies, is alive and well, and we’ll be working closely with these partners to promote coexistence and advance protections for Colorado’s native lions in the year ahead.
South Dakota: In a surprise move on October 3, the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission chose NOT to increase mountain lion hunting in the vulnerable Black Hills area. That was thanks to the many lion-friendly public comments they received, as well as input from the Mountain Lion Foundation and our partners in that state.
Washington: One of our biggest successes in the past year was in Washington state, where the state’s wildlife commission adopted important and dramatic new rules in July to prevent the aggressive overhunting of cougars. The rule change was the final result of years of steadfast advocacy and a petition filed in December 2023 by the Mountain Lion Foundation, Washington Wildlife First, and other partners from national and statewide groups.
California: Community concerns remain high in areas of California with high lion activity, and in these areas, the Mountain Lion Foundation is continuing to engage proactively in these communities, meeting with local wildlife officials and residents about safely coexisting with mountain lions.
Also in California, two important new laws that protect mountain lions were recently signed into law by Governor Newsom. The first is an expanded ban on anticoagulant rodenticides (which have outsized, harmful impacts on lions); the second is the “Room to Roam Act,” requiring local governments to incorporate wildlife connectivity in their planning. The Mountain Lion Foundation and our members, along with our many coalition partners, fought for these changes. And won!
The Mountain Lion Foundation succeeds because people like you cherish our beautiful big cats and recognize the importance of standing up to preserve our natural world and protect the creatures that call it home. Whatever we call her — puma, cougar, catamount, panther, or spirit of the mountains — she’s a magnificent and inspiring cat, and we must protect her.
Join us with a year–end donation, and together we’ll keep our mountains purring. Donate now.
Last week’s election was predicted to be, and will likely prove, among the most consequential in US history. Beyond the presidential election, voters made choices about control of Congress, eleven states chose governors, state legislatures changed hands, and voters considered ballot initiatives that set state and local policies on matters like climate change, housing development and habitat protection, and — of course – mountain lion hunting.
Colorado’s Proposition 127 was a historic effort to extend the protections mountain lions have enjoyed in California since that state’s proposition 117 (and an earlier legislative moratorium signed by then-Governor Ronald Reagan). Hunters, the gun industry, and ultimately a range of politically conservative political action committees invested heavily in opposing that initiative, while Cat’s Aren’t Trophies, the Mountain Lion Foundation, our members and our many dedicated allies worked tirelessly to support it. In the end, voters declined to end trophy hunting for wild cats in Colorado, with 55% voting against the initiative.
In Florida, voters approved a constitutional amendment that enshrines a right to hunt in the state constitution, with 67% voting in favor, well above the required 60% threshold. 23 other states have adopted an amendment of this sort, though the precise details vary. Utah’s Right to Hunt Amendment is the central basis for the lawsuit by the Mountain Lion Foundation and our partners challenging the state’s elimination of hunting limits on mountain lions. These amendments have also been used by wolf advocates in other states to challenge excessive hunting. Florida’s amendment requires, among other things, that “fishing, hunting, and the taking of fish and wildlife” should be the “preferred means of responsibly managing and controlling fish and wildlife.”
Other ballot measures in the states expanded and protected environmental policy. Washington voters shrugged off a referendum that would have eliminated the state’s carbon tax trading program, which aims to reduce climate pollution by 95% by 2050. In California, voters approved $10 billion in bonds to fund parks, environmental protections, clean energy programs, and water infrastructure. Unfortunately, voters in South Dakota declined to adopt limits on carbon dioxide pipelines, allowing the associated climate pollution to continue.
Voters in Washington state maintained strong pro-wildlife leadership. Outgoing Governor Jay Inslee’s appointees to the state’s Fish and Wildlife Commission have been instrumental in changing that body and making the state a leader in wildlife governance reform. He opted not to run for re-election, and the state’s Attorney General, Bob Ferguson, will replace him. Ferguson has been a vigorous defender of wildlife and the environment, and we are hopeful that he will continue the state’s progress on wildlife policy. Several state legislators who had been leaders on wildlife policy have left the legislature, and we will work to see strong leadership of key committees, and to educate them about issues affecting cougars. Washington also elected a new Commissioner of Public Lands to administer the state’s forests and waters. The winner, Dave Upthegrove, has been a champion for managing the Evergreen State’s forests for the benefit of wilderness not just timber companies.
Races for state office in other states produced little change. Utah’s Governor Cox was re-elected even after signing a law opposed by wildlife groups and hunters, which eliminated limits on mountain lion hunting. Montana’s Greg Gianforte was re-elected despite media reports of his having illegally killed a collared wolf, and his proud display of a cougar he killed with a legal license.
In Nevada, hopes for a legislative majority large enough to overcome the state’s Republican governor appeared to fall short by a single seat. Efforts to address wildlife killing contests and needless deaths and maiming of cougars in traps set for other species have been caught in the Silver State’s partisan crossfire. Wyoming voters installed an ultra-conservative governing majority in the state’s House, making it less likely that wildlife advocates will be able to address loopholes that left no way to prosecute a hunter who ran over a wolf with a snowmobile, dragged it to a bar where he tortured it before finally killing it.
Local voters across the country voted to fund public transit. Roads create critical risks to mountain lions, both from loss of connectivity between habitat patches and from direct mortality from car strikes. Increasing public transit rather than road construction is a key element of mountain lion conservation, and these moves away from cars will benefit not just mountain lion survival in areas like Maricopa County, AZ, or Denver, CO, but maintain the paths that mountain lions will one day use to return to areas like Richland County, SC or Nashville, TN.
The presidential election is also likely to have significant effects on wildlife policy, though most direct management of mountain lions falls to state policymakers. President-elect Trump has proposed substantial revisions or outright repeal of the Endangered Species Act, which protects the few remaining Florida panthers. In addition, the conservative agenda Project 2025 proposes eliminating federal scientists who specialize in endangered species and their recovery, which could affect the survival of those last eastern panthers. And it proposes undoing the Antiquities Act, which protects wildlife and cultural resources in National Monuments. In his first term, Trump dismantled key climate provisions, including international treaties and federal offices that support energy efficiency and climate resilience. Some of those changes may require action by Congress, and partisan control of the US House remains unclear, though it is sure to be closely divided. Other changes may lead to litigation in the courts, and judicial appointments may flow more easily through the Senate under its new Republican leadership and under recent precedents that make it easier to overturn strong environmental regulations.
Undoubtedly, this election created setbacks for mountain lions and environmental policy. The Mountain Lion Foundation and our partners remain steadfast in our commitment to our work, which is now even more critical. Regardless of the political winds, Americans need resilient communities that can live comfortably and safely near wildlife. We will continue to fight for the mountain lions that make our wild lands unique and vibrant.
If you’ve never been to Griffith Park in Los Angeles, you still likely know Griffith Park. With just over 4,000 acres, Griffith Park is one of the largest municipal parks with urban wilderness in the country. Covering less than 10 square miles, the park is home to major Californian (and American) landmarks, including the Hollywood sign, the Los Angeles Zoo, and Griffith Observatory. The latter was made most famous by James Dean’s mesmerizing 1955 performance in Rebel without a Cause. The park itself stands for LA, and Angelenos make good use of this beautiful space in the middle of their city.
On any given day, Griffith Park is teeming with people: running, horseback riding, picnicking, celebrating birthdays, and in general, enjoying 365 days of warm California sunshine. It’s estimated that 10 million people visit Griffith Park annually. On a Saturday in mid-October, when I visited the park, there was something even more special to celebrate.
The National Wildlife Federation and #SaveLACougars have hosted the Annual P-22 Day Festival for the last 9 years. P-22 is the world-famous mountain lion that lived in Griffith Park from around 2012 (when he was first captured by a trail camera) until he was humanely euthanized due to severe injuries and chronic pain on December 17, 2022 by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. His story is extraordinary because he lived for a decade in an area about 10 times smaller than most mountain lion territories, and because he had to brave two notoriously busy highways to make it there.
Local Boy Scout Troops advocate for wildlife crossings at P-22 Day
For 10 years, P-22 was Hollywood’s Cat, and Angelenos loved him. They loved the idea that a mountain lion, a species known for their elusive nature, coexisted with them in this park that they also loved. In choosing Griffith Park, and braving the journey to get there, it was like P-22 chose them. And in every respect, he did.
The Annual P-22 Day Festival is a tribute to the legacy of Hollywood’s Cat. It’s a celebration of people, music, food, wilderness, animals, advocacy, ingenuity, and community. It’s an occasion to swap stories about P-22 sightings back in the day. It’s a reason to remember the mountain lion’s stirring 2023 memorial at the Greek Theatre (another iconic California landmark). It’s an opportunity to connect with people from across the state who share a love of wildlife and wild places.
And it is perhaps, most poignantly, a glimpse into how American cities could be if coexistence was adopted as a core value and wildlife was celebrated, respected, and understood on their own terms.
Creative models for wildlife crossings made by children in Los Angeles
While other states are passing laws that increase recreational hunting of apex carnivores like mountain lions, bears, wolves, and coyotes, I’m proud to live in the only state that has chosen to protect our mountain lions from recreational hunting. I’m proud that Californians understand the innate value in protecting as much wilderness as we can and the animals that call those places home.
I’m so grateful that the world opened our hearts to P-22 and rooted for this underdog in the cat world. We have chosen to remember him and more importantly, we’ve chosen to use his legacy to propel us toward something better together.
I recently joined more than 2,000 attendees at the 31st Annual Meeting of The Wildlife Society (TWS) in Baltimore, Maryland. The meeting offers wildlife biologists opportunities for professional development, time to connect with peers, a forum for sharing new and ongoing research, and a time to be inspired by the amazing stories of people in our field.
This time to share, collaborate, and connect is essential, addressing a need that goes beyond the academic to the emotional and social. As Aldo Leopold poignantly said: “One of the penalties of an ecological education is that one lives alone in a world of wounds.” These meetings represent some of the few moments where wildlife scientists and conservationists can come together and feel profoundly, albeit briefly, un-alone in their work.
Plenary session
The meeting kicked off with plenary addresses from three conservationists who have gone beyond their research to engage in the political and cultural arenas it affects—and to remind us that they aren’t that separate to begin with.
At the opening plenary session, we heard from Julie Robinson, deputy director of earth sciences at NASA about the work they are doing to create imagery and models of the Earth’s surface. Robinson emphasized that as exciting as this work is, its usefulness hinges on effective communication with the public.
Next to the stage was wildlife biologist, James Cummins, executive director of the NGO (nongovernmental organization) Wildlife Mississippi. He shared stories of his career and emphasized that his work in policy has been the most impactful part of his career. He reminded us that: “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” If we can’t speak up for the wildlife we care about, no one will.
Finally, we heard from Jason Baldes, director of the Tribal Buffalo Program for the National Wildlife Federation. He shared the story of the reintroduction of bison to the Wind River Indian Reservation. To him and his community the return of bison was an ancestral food source brought back, the ecological restoration of their home, and also “bringing a long-lost relative home.”
The Wildlife Society’s Policy Workshop
Later I attended a TWS workshop to help scientists engage in the policy arena. There we heard stories from the CEO of TWS, Ed Arnett, and TWS staff member Kelly O’Connor about working in policy, and the challenges they faced. The challenges stem from a mix of problems: economic opposition, culture clashes, and the stifling of scientist voices.
The world is calling for the voices of scientists to help bring solutions to the problems of today. But when it comes to many topics, many scientists are unable to share their opinions due to their institutional affiliations or fear of retribution. Some scientists work towards policy by advocating within institutions, others utilize private emails to share their voice with NGOs and advocates who can use the information they share. Unfortunately, there is no one clear path for scientists to engage in policy. Some have the full ability to do so, but others are limited.
As of now, we can praise the scientists permitted to engage in policy and support the scientists who are unable or do not feel comfortable doing so.
Poster session
Paige Munson presents her poster: Projections of suitable habitat for mountain lions in the United States in 2075
At the conference’s poster session, hundreds of presenters gathered to share their work. There I presented the Mountain Lion Foundation’s ongoing work to model habitat for mountain lions. Throughout the night people approached my poster and touched where their home was on the map. They would tell me stories about the mountain lions in their area. For the people who lived in areas where mountain lions were eradicated, many shared that they wished the mountain lions would come back. For some they wanted the ecological services that mountain lions can provide. But for others, their hope rested in wanting to experience a bit more of the wild and magic that comes with sharing your home with an animal like the mountain lion.
As a member of the Mountain Lion Foundation’s policy team, I was proud to see that scientists were galvanized to action towards the vast array of issues facing wildlife, including policy. The Mountain Lion Foundation engages with policy at legislative levels, but also by participating in local government and state agency decision making regarding mountain lions. My time at TWS this year energized me about our work, sparked new ideas for approaching the issues surrounding mountain lions, and gave me the chance to meet new partners in our mission to ensure that mountain lions survive and flourish in the wild.
If you are someone who was closely watching the presidential election, today may be a difficult day for you, or it may be a day of celebration. Whatever your political leanings may be, I firmly believe that we can all agree on one thing: Our country’s beloved and important wildlife should not have to live their lives facing needless and ruthless persecution.
As you’ll likely remember, the Colorado-based members and volunteers of the Mountain Lion Foundation, along with our staff and Board of Directors, were “all in” on Prop 127 in Colorado, a ballot initiative that sought to protect Colorado’s mountain lions from trophy hunting. From knocking on doors to advocating on social media to helping pay for persuasive ads and staff time, we were there, working closely with Campaign Director Sam Miller and her team at Cats Aren’t Trophies. Unfortunately, in yesterday’s election, Prop 127 was not successful. Too many voters in Colorado were swayed by the opposition’s misleading and sometimes outright false messaging — and that opposition was incredibly well-funded by “dark money” PACs.
This was a big disappointment, but we are undaunted! The critically important work of the Mountain Lion Foundation continues in Colorado and across the country. I appreciate you, and I thank you for your support as a member of the Mountain Lion Foundation. The organization’s education, advocacy, and coexistence work is rooted in a deep partnership with our members, our volunteers, and the partnering organizations in our various coalitions. Let us all commit to learning what we can from this, and to using those lessons to strengthen our efforts moving forward.
Personally speaking, a setback like this tends to fire me up. It makes me mad and energizes me, and I’m ready to go roaring into the future: We’re going to knock it out of the park in the year ahead. Our mission — ensuring that mountain lions survive and flourish in the wild — is too important to do anything less.
Guest Blog by Chris Smith, Wildlife Program Director, WildEarth Guardians
A few years ago, I was poring over trapping regulations in various Western U.S. states, wondering what state stoops the lowest in terms of facilitating the suffering of animals and allowing people to privatize and kill the public’s wildlife. Nevada stood out, and not in a good way. No bag limits. No trapper education requirements. No mandatory reporting. And a 96-hour trap check window.
Yes, in Nevada, an animal can languish in a trap for up to 96 hours legally. The longest of any state in the West — longer than Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana.
We want to change that.
Among the species who suffer from these archaic “regulations” are mountain lions — charismatic, secretive cats who are critical to ecosystem health even though we rarely get to see them.
Lions aren’t even supposed to be trapped in Nevada — they are a non-target species. But too often lions are caught, injured, maimed, and even killed.
On October 8th, WildEarth Guardians, the Mountain Lion Foundation, and the Nevada Wildlife Alliance submitted a petition to protect mountain lions from the unintended consequences of this cruel trapping practice.
The petition outlines eight recommendations, all of which are not only common-sense adjustments to policy but also important protections for mountain lions:
Shorten the amount of time between trap checks from 96 to 24 hours.
Require the proper size of trap for the intended animal.
Require swivels on traps so that it moves with the animal.
Ban the use of drags which are weighted components connected to the trap that allow the animal to distance themselves from the trap but not escape. Drags usually prolong or increase suffering.
Ban the use of multiple sets of traps placed near each other to decrease the likelihood of a mountain lion getting multiple limbs trapped at the same time.
Require traps to be secured to the ground with a chain < 30 inches so that non-target animals like mountain lions would be able to pull free if caught.
Require ongoing trapper education for anyone applying for a trapping license.
Improve and increase the collection of data about non-target species.
Nevadans, we need your help! Please send an email to Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners requesting that they accept our petition and rein in the trapping chaos across the state. If you are a resident (or know a resident), click here to send your letter!
All pictures by Hunter Rook, Samantha Miller, and the Mountain Lion Foundation
In late September, the Mountain Lion Foundation conducted a coexistence project at a working alpaca ranch in the mountains of Colorado, along with two educational presentations to the public.
The alpaca ranch, located near Granby, Colorado, had suffered from two confirmed mountain lion depredations, and the ranchers were looking for assistance in keeping their livestock as safe as possible. We had conducted an initial site visit over the summer, and this was followed by a conversation with the ranchers and an in-depth site assessment when we arrived in September. The assessment and our on-site work were led by Gowan Batist, an active sheep rancher and the Mountain Lion Foundation’s Coexistence Programs Manager.
We identified several areas to address, and a key task was repairing fences that had been damaged by fires. The fence repairs were important for the alpacas, but they were perhaps even more important for the ranchers’ three livestock guardian dogs — with more secure fencing, the dogs could be kept in the livestock pens with the alpacas and help keep them safe. Working alongside staff and volunteers from the Cats Aren’t Trophies campaign, we also fixed and upgraded additional fence sections that were in need of repair.
Successful coexistence is about the physical structures and layout of a ranch, and it’s also about behaviors such as animal-husbandry practices. Accordingly, based on conversations with the ranchers and the site assessment, we made a number of recommendations to the ranchers to adjust their husbandry practices. These included bringing their livestock into a lion-proof structure at night and changing their training and care protocols for their livestock guardian dogs. We also recommended utilizing deterrent devices that scare lions off with sudden lights and loud noises. Finally, we reached out to nearby community members who could potentially support the ranchers in implementing these changes.
The following day, Gowan offered a public presentation in nearby Winter Park, Colorado, focused specifically on these and other coexistence practices that livestock owners in that community can implement to keep both their livestock and the local lions as safe as possible.
A few days later, the Mountain Lion Foundation’s Executive Director, Brent Lyles, delivered another presentation about mountain lions in Denver. With the lovely setting of Gallery 6 in downtown Denver as a backdrop, and with a guest appearance by the First Gentleman of Colorado, Marlon Reis, Brent discussed mountain lion biology and behavior, the history of lions in Colorado, and the expected impacts of climate change on mountain lion populations.
At his presentation, Brent also discussed the trophy hunting of mountain lions, which was top-of-mind for many of the guests because an initiative to end lion trophy hunting is on the ballot in Colorado. (For more information about Prop 127 and the Cats Aren’t Trophies campaign, click here.)
In the coming months and years, Coloradans will adjust to their likely new reality — a reality without the needless and ruthless trophy hunting of their mountain lion neighbors. The Mountain Lion Foundation looks forward to serving as a key resource for Coloradans, offering tools and information about peaceful coexistence with these critically important animals.
Living with Lions Webinar: Mountain Lion Rescue in California (September 18, 2024)
Dr. Alex Herman, Vice President of Veterinary Services, Oakland Zoo
Amy Gotliffe, Vice President of Conservation, Oakland Zoo
Dr. Deana Clifford, Senior Wildlife Veterinarian, California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Dr. T. Winston Vickers, Director and Lead Wildlife Veterinarian, California Mountain Lion Project, UC Davis
What is the state of mountain lion rescue in California? When orphaned cubs are discovered, what’s the process for securing them a safe and healthy future? Who are the state and local actors charged with coordinating a rescue? And what are the current expectations, challenges, and opportunities for ensuring that California mountain lions thrive in the wild and, when necessary, in captivity?
In this special 1-hour Living with Lions webinar, we heard from the amazing professionals who work together to rescue mountain lions across California.
The Panelists:
Dr. Alex Herman, Vice President of Veterinary Services, Oakland Zoo
Dr. Herman received her Bachelor of Science from the University of Minnesota (Mpls-St.Paul), her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from UC Davis, and graduated from the Veterinary Management Institute at Colorado State University, Fort Collins.
Prior to becoming Oakland Zoo’s full-time Vice President of Veterinary Services in September 2019, she spent fifteen years providing medical, surgical, and dental services to the Zoo in a part-time capacity. Her veterinary skills were invaluable to the California Condor Recovery team and all the animals at Oakland Zoo — from Amazon milky tree frogs to giraffes. At the same time, she worked for more than two decades to develop a full-service avian, exotics, wildlife, dog and cat practice in San Francisco.
Her goals in leading Oakland Zoo’s veterinary team are to maintain and constantly expand the most intentional, effective, high impact culture and evidence-based veterinary care for both the animals under the Zoo’s stewardship and those that comprise our conservation work.
Dr. Herman lives in Berkeley with her husband and son. She cherishes the Oakland Zoo and is honored to provide the highest level of care for our fascinating and amazing animals.
Amy Gotliffe, Vice President of Conservation, Oakland Zoo
Amy Gotliffe has a mission to connect human beings to nature, envisioning a planet where all species live in peaceful co-existence, which makes her a perfect fit for Oakland Zoo.
With certifications in humane education, nature-based leadership, conservation psychology, human-wildlife conflict resolution, nature interpretation and influencing conservation behavior change, Amy’s work at the Zoo focuses on reconnecting people with our sense of belonging to the natural world and better understanding our impact on it.
As VP of Conservation at Oakland Zoo, she coordinates events and projects to meet the conservation goals of the Zoo around the world and in the Bay Area. These efforts range from building a Conservation Speaker Series, to leading international conservation expeditions to producing awareness events to coordinating the Zoo’s on-site sustainability efforts. Amy drives massive and enthusiastic, inter-departmental efforts to conserve biodiversity around the globe and in our own backyards.
Dr. Deana Clifford, Senior Wildlife Veterinarian, California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Dr. Clifford is the lead non-game veterinarian at the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) and a research scientist at the UC Davis Wildlife Health Center. She has expertise in epidemiologic study design, disease risk analysis and disease management of wildlife species. Deana has worked on the individual and population health of a range of non-game species including Island foxes, Amargosa voles, Pacific fishers, grey foxes, American pika, and others. She regularly works in the field participating in trapping, veterinary assessment, and performing epidemiologic studies. Additionally, she has considerable experience managing large projects with multiple collaborators in interfacing research, such as Envirovet and the Health for Animals and Livelihood Improvement Project in Tanzania.
Dr. T. Winston Vickers, Director, Lead Wildlife Veterinarian, California Mountain Lion Project
Dr. Vickers is a wildlife research veterinarian with the University of California-Davis Wildlife Health Center and the Institute for Wildlife Studies. He obtained his DVM at Oklahoma State University and practiced on large, small, and exotic species for over 20 years before returning to school to get his Master of Preventive Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis with a focus on wildlife disease and ecology. He has been studying mountain lions and other wildlife for 20 years and directs the UCD Wildlife Health Center’s mountain lion study. He collaborates extensively with other mountain lion researchers, NGO’s, and governmental agencies in the state and elsewhere in the West, and his studies of mountain lions address issues of mortality, connectivity, habitat use, genetics, disease, conservation, and reducing negative interactions with humans and livestock.
He also collaborates on studies involving other wildlife species studies, including bobcats, Channel Island foxes, Santa Cruz Island scrub jays and other avian species. He worked for many years with the Wildlife Health Center’s Oiled Wildlife Care Network on oil spill response, and is the author or a co-author of over 35 peer reviewed publications, one book chapter, and numerous white papers and reports to wildlife and other government agencies. He co-developed and directed a 9-part series of short educational documentaries about mountain lions, as well as a one hour film, that have been viewed nearly 1.8 million times and can be viewed here (https://www.camountainlions.com/). His work has been featured in numerous articles in the newspapers and in several books, and he has twice been named one of the 100 most influential individuals in Orange County, CA by the Orange County Register
