At the heart of the Santa Monica Mountains, a female mountain lion named P-129 has just been fitted with a tracking collar, joining a decades-old National Park Service study.
The capture took place only 200 meters from the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing in Agoura Hills, a site that has already seen three lions fitted with collars.
An NPS photo shows a nighttime view of the capture and the wildlife crossing, providing a visual record of the event.
The National Park Service has been monitoring mountain lions in Southern California for many years.
P-129, a female, is the latest addition to the study.
Her collar will record movements, habitat use, and interactions with the environment.
The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing is a bridge designed to allow wildlife to safely cross a busy roadway.
It is located in Agoura Hills and serves as a critical corridor for animals in the Santa Monica Mountains.
The crossing was built to reduce vehicle-wildlife collisions and to connect fragmented habitats.
Save LA Cougars, a nonprofit that champions urban wildlife in Southern California, announced that P-129 is one of only three lions captured at the crossing site over the years.
The organization sent a message to the mountain lion: “Welcome to the National Park Service study, P-129. And come back next fall and the crossing will be ready for you!”
This greeting reflects the collaborative effort between researchers and conservation groups.
Visitors to the area can learn about the wildlife crossing by signing up for a free docent-led tour.
The 50-minute tour provides information about the bridge’s construction and explains how the crossing will protect local wildlife populations.
Tour participants can also view a webcam that offers a live look at the ongoing progress of the bridge.
– P-129, a female mountain lion, has been fitted with a tracking collar near the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing.
– The capture occurred 200 meters from the crossing, a site that has already seen three lions fitted with collars.
– Save LA Cougars welcomed P-129 and highlighted the collaboration between conservation groups and the National Park Service.
National Park Service biologists were responsible for the capture.
They used humane methods to approach the mountain lion.
Once captured, the lion was fitted with a collar that records GPS data.
The collar fitted to P-129 is similar to the one that once adorned the famous mountain lion P-22.
This similarity allows researchers to compare data across individuals.
The technology provides high-resolution movement records.
The female mountain lion has been given the name P-129.
Naming the animal helps researchers track her individual history.
It also facilitates public engagement with the study.
The study in which P-129 participates has been ongoing for several decades.
It has helped scientists understand population dynamics.
The long-term data set is invaluable for conservation planning.
The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing is engineered to accommodate large mammals.
Its design includes safe passageways over traffic lanes.
The bridge is part of a broader effort to mitigate human-wildlife conflict.
An NPS photo captures the moment of the capture at night, showing the lion and the crossing in low light.
The image highlights the challenges of working in natural habitats.
It also serves as documentation for the project.
P-129 is one of only three lions that have been captured at the crossing site over the years.
Each capture contributes to the cumulative data set.
The repeated captures underscore the area’s importance for mountain lion movement.
The docent-led tour lasts about 50 minutes.
It covers the bridge’s construction timeline.
Participants learn how the crossing will protect local wildlife populations.
P-129’s collar will continue to send data into the future, allowing researchers to monitor her movements across seasons.
The information will inform management decisions for the Santa Monica Mountains.
As the wildlife crossing nears completion, the region’s residents can stay connected through the live webcam and community tours.
