Deep Study of Mountain Lions Underway in Valley
independentnews.com
A 10-year study of mountain lions in the East Bay is underway. It focuses on
three big territories, including a stretch from Mount Hamilton to Livermore and
Sunol.
Steven Bobziem, ecological service coordinator for East Bay Regional Park
District, is representing the park district on the study. He told The
Independent that he placed cameras in Sunol Regional Wilderness more than a year
ago, as part of the study.Some are still cameras, others are video cameras.
The study is funded by the Felidae Conservation Fund, which is based in Marin County. Its mission is to protect predator animals, such as mountain lions, which it calls pumas after the Latin name, bobcats, and other big cats worldwide. Other names for mountain lions are cougar and panther.
The East Bay Puma Project will study the migration habits of the pumas, the areas where they forage, and their interaction with humans and prey animals, including how many domesticated livestock are victims.
Puma wanderings can provide a good indication about just where wildlife corridors are located. Many ecologists say that certain areas are wildlife corridors, but sometimes have no evidence, just a suspicion, said Bobziem. The camera documentation and the signals that will be sent out from collars that will be attached to briefly captured pumas will provide some hard evidence concerning corridors, said Bobziem.
The study will also include data about the puma population in the East Bay. Many people mistake coyotes, foxes, and feral cats for pumas, so basing any estimate on those sightings would be inaccurate, said Bobziem.
Although some people fear encounters with pumas, it is very rare anyone is ever attacked, said Bobziem. There are safety measures to be taken, the same kind recommended this week by the Pleasanton police department, which issued a press release about a puma sighting at the city's corporation yard at 3333 Busch Road, on the city's east side.
The corporation yard, where the city stores and maintains its vehicles, is at the edge of open space. A mountain lion was seen at 4:30 a.m. Oct. 28 by firefighters. The big cat went away.
The police say never to approach a mountain lion, and if confronted by one, do not run. Instead, face the animal, stand upright, wave your arms, and make noise in an effort to scare it away.
Bobziem said that pumas are not looking for trouble, and want the chance to leave. He said that in the San Jose area, police responded to a puma report by killing two cubs. There was a public outcry over the shooting. It resulted in legislation signed this year by Gov. Jerry Brown.
Previously, municipalities had to respond by killing pumas, but the new law says a city can use discretion on how to deal with the situation. If the puma were in a tree, people can leave the scene, and let the cat slink away, said Bobziem.
Pumas don't come back to any site where they have been traumatized by an encounter with humans, added Bobziem.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Bay Area Puma Project (BAPP) is the first large scale research,
education and conservation program for pumas in and around the San Francisco Bay
Area. BAPP's primary goal is to increase knowledge, understanding and awareness
about Bay Area puma populations, in order to promote better co-existence and
less conflict between humans and pumas in the region, and ultimately to help
foster a more harmonious relationship between humans and the natural world.
Current Issues and Concerns
As the top predator in the natural spaces around the Bay Area, the puma plays a critical role in maintaining the health and balance of our local ecosystems. However human development is rapidly encroaching on puma habitat, creating mounting problems that include habitat fragmentation and corridor loss, increasing anxiety in local communities due to puma encounters, and more human-puma conflicts involving roads, livestock, and depredation. Moreover, because the puma is both a bellwether and a keystone species, these problems pose a serious threat to biodiversity and the habitat overall.
Multi-Faceted Solutions
BAPP's ten-year program addresses these conflicts with a complementary set of initiatives. A strong scientific foundation is provided by a cutting-edge field study that is revealing new data on puma biology and behavior. This knowledge supports powerful community outreach and education programs that amplify local awareness about the need to preserve ecosystems. These programs are accompanied by state-of-the-art online technologies designed to raise understanding and support in the broader public. Finally, detailed data generated by the research will be used to advance collaborative discussions with key agencies and officials, to safeguard key wildlife habitats and corridors.
FIELD RESEARCH
· Collect data on puma movements, biology, ecology and behavior
· Analyze data and develop conclusions about local puma populations
· Develop documents that support conservation and contribute to scientific knowledge
· Extensive remote camera research to aid in determination of density
OUTREACH & EDUCATION
· Inform local residents, reduce tensions, increase understanding
· Give students deeper appreciation for local ecosystems (Link to CAT Aware here)
· Connect people to nature using the latest technologies
CONSERVATION
· Secure protection for critical linkages
· Secure protection for priority habitats
· Minimize human-puma encounters through better land use policies
The scientific insight and public support that BAPP generates will help reduce tensions, increase understanding, and influence decision-makers to protect key wildlife habitats and corridors
The study is funded by the Felidae Conservation Fund, which is based in Marin County. Its mission is to protect predator animals, such as mountain lions, which it calls pumas after the Latin name, bobcats, and other big cats worldwide. Other names for mountain lions are cougar and panther.
The East Bay Puma Project will study the migration habits of the pumas, the areas where they forage, and their interaction with humans and prey animals, including how many domesticated livestock are victims.
Puma wanderings can provide a good indication about just where wildlife corridors are located. Many ecologists say that certain areas are wildlife corridors, but sometimes have no evidence, just a suspicion, said Bobziem. The camera documentation and the signals that will be sent out from collars that will be attached to briefly captured pumas will provide some hard evidence concerning corridors, said Bobziem.
The study will also include data about the puma population in the East Bay. Many people mistake coyotes, foxes, and feral cats for pumas, so basing any estimate on those sightings would be inaccurate, said Bobziem.
Although some people fear encounters with pumas, it is very rare anyone is ever attacked, said Bobziem. There are safety measures to be taken, the same kind recommended this week by the Pleasanton police department, which issued a press release about a puma sighting at the city's corporation yard at 3333 Busch Road, on the city's east side.
The corporation yard, where the city stores and maintains its vehicles, is at the edge of open space. A mountain lion was seen at 4:30 a.m. Oct. 28 by firefighters. The big cat went away.
The police say never to approach a mountain lion, and if confronted by one, do not run. Instead, face the animal, stand upright, wave your arms, and make noise in an effort to scare it away.
Bobziem said that pumas are not looking for trouble, and want the chance to leave. He said that in the San Jose area, police responded to a puma report by killing two cubs. There was a public outcry over the shooting. It resulted in legislation signed this year by Gov. Jerry Brown.
Previously, municipalities had to respond by killing pumas, but the new law says a city can use discretion on how to deal with the situation. If the puma were in a tree, people can leave the scene, and let the cat slink away, said Bobziem.
Pumas don't come back to any site where they have been traumatized by an encounter with humans, added Bobziem.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bay Area Puma Project
The Bay Area Puma Project (BAPP) is the first large scale research,
education and conservation program for pumas in and around the San Francisco Bay
Area. BAPP's primary goal is to increase knowledge, understanding and awareness
about Bay Area puma populations, in order to promote better co-existence and
less conflict between humans and pumas in the region, and ultimately to help
foster a more harmonious relationship between humans and the natural world.Current Issues and Concerns
As the top predator in the natural spaces around the Bay Area, the puma plays a critical role in maintaining the health and balance of our local ecosystems. However human development is rapidly encroaching on puma habitat, creating mounting problems that include habitat fragmentation and corridor loss, increasing anxiety in local communities due to puma encounters, and more human-puma conflicts involving roads, livestock, and depredation. Moreover, because the puma is both a bellwether and a keystone species, these problems pose a serious threat to biodiversity and the habitat overall.
Multi-Faceted SolutionsBAPP's ten-year program addresses these conflicts with a complementary set of initiatives. A strong scientific foundation is provided by a cutting-edge field study that is revealing new data on puma biology and behavior. This knowledge supports powerful community outreach and education programs that amplify local awareness about the need to preserve ecosystems. These programs are accompanied by state-of-the-art online technologies designed to raise understanding and support in the broader public. Finally, detailed data generated by the research will be used to advance collaborative discussions with key agencies and officials, to safeguard key wildlife habitats and corridors.
FIELD RESEARCH
· Collect data on puma movements, biology, ecology and behavior
· Analyze data and develop conclusions about local puma populations
· Develop documents that support conservation and contribute to scientific knowledge
· Extensive remote camera research to aid in determination of density
OUTREACH & EDUCATION
· Inform local residents, reduce tensions, increase understanding
· Give students deeper appreciation for local ecosystems (Link to CAT Aware here)
· Connect people to nature using the latest technologies
CONSERVATION· Secure protection for critical linkages
· Secure protection for priority habitats
· Minimize human-puma encounters through better land use policies
The scientific insight and public support that BAPP generates will help reduce tensions, increase understanding, and influence decision-makers to protect key wildlife habitats and corridors
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment