A mountain lion photographed while it guarded a freshly killed deer Sunday morning on Mulholland Highway was a young female that had recently dispersed from its mother.
The rare image was captured in the Malibu area by Irv Nilsen, who sent the photo and details to experts at the Santa Monica National Mountains Recreational Area.
They identified the cougar as P-23, a young female that had recently set out on its own.
They did not divulge the precise location but a ranger named Kate stated in a Facebook post: "Contrary to some reports, this was a remote section of Mulholland Highway and not near the Rock Store or homes."
Kate added: "Of the 400+ kills our biologists have hiked in on, this is the only one they've seen right on a road, so it's quite a rare sight! She dragged this deer into the dense brush shortly after this photo was taken for a little more privacy."
Mountain lions prey largely on deer and mostly at night, although sometimes at dawn and dusk.
It's not clear whether the deer P-23 was soon to feast upon was road kill, or her fancy work.
--Pete Thomas
--Hat tip to LA Observed
Comments