Mountain Lion Foundation

08/27/2026

08/20/2026

The Hidden Value of Mountain Lions

We often think about mountain lions in terms of the prey they catch. But some of their most important effects may come from the animals they don't catch.

New research from Washington's Olympic Peninsula found that where mountain lions are common, deer behave differently. They spend less time near roads and developed areas and become more active during daylight hours—when drivers are more likely to see them.

Those changes could have a remarkable consequence: areas with high mountain lion activity were expected to experience about 76% fewer deer-vehicle collisions over five years than comparable areas where mountain lions were scarce.

The lions aren't simply eliminating deer. Their presence is changing how deer move through the landscape—and potentially making roads safer for wildlife and people.

For Dr. Byron Weckworth, MLF's Chief Conservation & Advocacy Officer, that's what makes this research particularly fascinating:

"The value of mountain lions isn't measured simply by the animals themselves, but by the ecological relationships they help sustain."

It's another window into The Lion Effect—the many ways mountain lions shape the landscapes they inhabit. Some of those influences are obvious. Others ripple quietly through ecosystems until someone asks the right question and gathers the data to answer it.

This research was led by the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, Quinault Indian Nation, Makah Tribe, Skokomish Tribe, Point No Point Treaty Council, and their partners at Conservation Science Partners and Panthera. MLF had no role in the research, and we're grateful for the opportunity to share the work and the knowledge it provides.

Every new discovery helps us see a little more of The Lion Effect.

📖 Read the study in Current Biology: https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(26)00818-3

08/13/2026

Sometimes the most extraordinary wildlife encounters happen when we simply stop, stay quiet, and watch.

While wandering the foothills of Colorado's Grand Mesa, Nick Sampalis stepped around a juniper and spotted a mountain lion kitten. Then he realized it wasn't alone.

Two more kittens were tucked beneath the cover of a nearby thicket.

Nick settled down about 25 yards away and downwind. At first, the kittens were wary. Eventually, they seemed to assume he was gone. For the next two and a half hours, Nick quietly watched as the three kittens napped and played.

"It was a peaceful time though I knew that could change at any time if the mother returned. After the time passed, I slipped back into the junipers and headed home."

An unforgettable encounter—and a beautiful example of what it can mean to respectfully share space with wildlife.

**Have a mountain lion story of your own? We'd love to hear it. Share your experience with us.**

📷 🎥 Nick Sampalis
Grand Mesa, Colorado

08/09/2026

The wild is constantly revealing something new.

In The Wild Revealed, we're highlighting two stories that deepen our understanding of how mountain lions share the landscape with people.

🦁 From The Mercury News
Research from the Santa Cruz Puma Project and UC Santa Cruz found that mountain lions actively adjust their movements to avoid people, even in landscapes where our lives overlap.

🚗 From Scientific American
A new story explores research from Washington's Olympic Peninsula suggesting that mountain lions may help reduce deer-vehicle collisions by changing where and when deer move.

We're grateful to the researchers, Tribal nations, conservation organizations, and journalists whose work continues to expand our understanding of mountain lions and the landscapes they shape. The Wild Revealed is our place to share that work with our community and explore why it matters.

Every discovery reveals a little more of the wild.
Read the stories:

📰 Mountain lions are avoiding you, UC Santa Cruz study finds (The Mercury News)
https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/08/03/santa-cruz-mountain-lions-are-avoiding-you-ucsc-study-finds/

📰 How Living Near Mountain Lions Might Actually Make You Safer (Scientific American)
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-living-near-mountain-lions-might-actually-make-you-safer/

08/07/2026

Honoring the lives behind the policy.

Every decision about wildlife management has consequences - not just for ecosystems, but for individual animals and the communities that care about them.

From August 11–14, community members will gather in Boulder, Utah, for the Vigil Walk and Ceremony on Behalf of Our Cougar Kin, a four-day event organized by the Cougar Wildlands Initiative to honor mountain lions killed under Utah's WRI-7707 predator-removal project and to reflect on the ecological and cultural importance of these animals.

While Utah Wild and the Mountain Lion Foundation are not organizing the event, we support opportunities that encourage thoughtful dialogue, public understanding, and science-based wildlife management.

Conservation begins by recognizing that mountain lions are more than a management objective. They are an essential part of Utah's wild landscapes, and they deserve policies rooted in science, transparency, and coexistence.

Learn more about the event through the Cougar Wildlands Initiative.

08/04/2026

Climbing Kittens 🌿🐾

As mountain lion kittens grow, curiosity starts to win out over caution. They begin exploring beyond the places where they were born, turning natal dens into maternal dens, and eventually into playgrounds as they discover the world around them.

These two siblings seem to have very different ideas about what counts as a good adventure. One is eager to climb higher, while the other appears content to stay a little closer to the ground. Their mother, meanwhile, looks ready for this particular expedition to be over.

Moments like this are incredibly rare. Mountain lions are among North America's most elusive mammals, and glimpses into family life like this help us better understand how mothers raise their young and how kittens gradually build the confidence they'll need to survive on their own.

Every observation like this deepens our understanding of the species, and reminds us why protecting wild places matters.

08/01/2026

Utah deserves a stronger voice for wildlife.

Welcome to Utah Wild.

Healthy ecosystems don't happen by accident. They depend on connected landscapes, science-based wildlife management, and the native species that have shaped Utah for thousands of years—including mountain lions.

Utah Wild brings together individuals, organizations, and communities who believe healthy ecosystems require responsible, science-based wildlife management.

Whether you're ready to sign the petition, join our mailing list, or become a coalition partner, there's a place for you in this effort.

Because the future of Utah's wild places won't be decided by a handful of voices.

Its future will be shaped by all of us.

Join us and UtahWild.org.

05/14/2026

Big congratulations to Joshua Lisbon , Colin Ruggiero , and the entire team behind Willow: Diary of a Mountain Lion on its Emmy nomination for Outstanding Nature Documentary.

We’re especially proud to celebrate Joshua’s role in helping bring Willow’s story to life. Willow showed audiences a rare and intimate look into the life of a wild mountain lion family, and the fragile, connected landscapes they depend on to survive.

A special thank you to for sharing this powerful story with viewers across the country and continuing to create space for conservation storytelling that inspires understanding, wonder, and coexistence.

05/08/2026

100 years of Life on Our Blue Planet Earth.

He has shown us our natural world, how to love it and protect it.

He has shaped conservation and caring across the globe.

We thank him, and we celebrate him for his curiosity and clarity, for all he has given us in his time here.

Happy 100th, Sir David. ❤️🌍

05/07/2026

Mountain lion families experience different conditions that influence their survival.

These can include resource availability, hunting success, caloric demands, age, and injury or illness.

In this clip, these kittens are competing hard over a limited food source. Their mother is older, on the upper end of what we see in the wild, and not able to provide the calories she once could. The kittens are just beginning to wean, but still nursing, adding even more pressure on her.

They’re scavenging a hunter-discarded hide.


It’s a tough picture, but an honest one.

Life in the wild isn’t assured, for predator or prey. Many factors shape what survives and what doesn’t. Mountain lions typically have 2–4 kittens… but often only 1 or 2 make it to adulthood.

And still, after the tension settles, you see something else:

nd still, after the tension settles, you see something else:

ake it to adulthood.

And still, after the tension settles, you see something else:

A mother, trying to raise her young.