One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Mountain Lion Bridge Planned Over The 101
While we dream about building a park atop the 101 Freeway, L.A.’s wildlife may be getting a new bridge over the 101.Biologists tracking mountain lions over the past decade worry that the big cats are inbreeding in the Santa Monica Mountains because they’re cut off from other lions in the mountains above Simi Valley and further north, City News Service reports. Caltrans officials want a $2 million grant from the government to link two parts of wild state parkland just west of Liberty Canyon Road in Agoura Hills.
The mountain lions have in the past used a freeway overpass over the 118 Freeway at Rocky Peak to cross over. The problem is that the lions have been killed crossing the 101 and the 405 in the area as well, as recently as last October.
National Park System biologists count 10 to 15 mountain lions from Point Mugu east to the 405, in one case further east into the Hollywood Hills and Griffith Park. According to NPS biologist Seth Riley, the latest known litter of cubs was born from a male mountain lion mating with his daughter, in the hills above Malibu. He told KPCC last winter:
“If animals can't disperse out, you may be more likely to get close inbreeding, and we've seen a number of instances where fathers have mated with daughters.”
And just FYI: There have been no mountain lion attacks on humans reported in recent years.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
