Denise M. Peterson, the founder of the Utah Mountain Lion Conservation, recently noticed a female and male mountain lion spending time together in the area while she was monitoring the trail cameras in the Utah Wilderness. Denise was yearning to see a baby mountain lion in the future and was counting the months for this to happen.
In the end, this individual’s dreams became a reality. One day as she was examining the footage, she observed three baby mountain lions making their way through the snow alongside their mother. “I was over-the-moon-excited!” Denise conveyed. The human wanted to share this good news with all the social media users scattered around the world and posted a video of the mountain lion family on Facebook.
Image Credit & More Info; Denise M. Peterson/Instagram | Facebook | Utah Mountain Lion Conservation
According to Denise’s caption on Facebook, “Yesterday’s camera check came with a delightful surprise.” The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources estimates that there are around 2,500 mountain lions residing in Utah. However, it is difficult to arrive at an exact number because these creatures are known to be elusive. Denise conveyed that many mountain lions were being hunted down in the region and that this had led to a decline in the mountain lion numbers.
Moreover, it’s rare to come across three healthy mountain lion babies because the kitten survival rate is low. “It was truly a gift,” Denise commented. Mountain lion babies generally stick by their mother’s side for about 18 months to 2 years. During this time period, the youngsters are taught valuable skills such as hunting, catching, prey selection, stalking, and which areas to avoid.
The Mountain Lion Foundation conveys that mountain lions are ecological engineers given that their behavior plays a vital part in keeping the larger ecosystem functioning, which in due course contributes to fighting climate change.
The video footage that was captured by the trail cameras portrays the baby mountain lions following their mother meekly. The video makes it apparent that the offspring understand the significance of being united in order to survive in the wild. It is our duty to protect these animals and ensure that future generations are able to catch a glimpse of these majestic beasts.
