GPS Tracking Puma Project Reveals Clues on How Civilization Affects Its Habits
5 Jun 2013GPS tracking collars show positive results following a puma study and the affect of civilization on its habits.
The mountain lions have been tracked for over three years in a study conducted by scientists at UC Sana Cruz (UCSC). The researchers have been keeping track of the habits of mountain lions, and the relation to civilization, through the use of GPS tracking technology. There are now the first set of published results, showing exactly what habits are affected by humans surrounding their natural habitats.
The study is called the UC Santa Cruz Puma Project, and led by Chris Wilmers and his colleagues at UC Santa Cruz. Wilmers is currently an associate professor of environmental studies at UCSC. The results were first published on April 17th, a little over three years after the study began.
During the study, 20 pumas were tracked for three years, over 6,600 square miles of natural habitat. Researchers began this study to find out what influences their behavior, physiology, and ecology and the conservation of the mountain lions in the nearby Santa Cruz Mountains. Civilization had different results, when comparing reproductive behavior to simply being around other humans.
Wilmers told reports: “Depending on their behavior, animals respond very differently to human development. Lions are totally willing to brave rural neighborhoods, but when it comes to reproductive behavior and denning they need more seclusion.” He went on to say that the pumas who live close to a metropolitan area require a much larger buffer from the humans in order for reproductive behaviors, as opposed to simply feeding or moving around in those areas.
For the study, Wilmers’ team which consisted of a dog tracking team and graduate students, captured 37 mountain lions. Twenty of these mountain lions, which consisted of 8 males and 12 females, were tracked and followed between 2008 and 2011. They were captured, anesthetized, measured, weighed, and then fitted with the GPS tracking collar and an ear tag. The GPS collars were developed by a team at UCSC, as well as a number of engineers and biologists. The GPS was meant to transmit behavioral data of the lions every four hours. Their movements, communication spots, dens and feeding sites were all tracked with the collars.
The results of the study, which are published on PLOS One online, helped researchers find 10 den sites, and also helped determine their behavioral changes when nearby civilization. It also looked at gender differences of the lions, such as females willing to go farther to look for food, while the males tended to remain further away from neighborhoods. 11 pumas died during the study, where they were hit by oncoming traffic or from raiding livestock.
More information about the UC Santa Cruz Puma Project study is found on theirwebsite, which includes photographs and tracking data of the study. An interested party can click on the “paw print” icon to learn more about a particular cougar in the study as well as its tracking activity.
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