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Desert lions

Posted: August 23rd, 2017, 2:40 pm
by lateralis
It was a sad day Monday when I learned that a mature (likely female) mountain lion was discovered dor in thermal California just north of the Salton sea.
http://www.kesq.com/news/large-mountain ... /607179703

Re: Desert lions

Posted: August 23rd, 2017, 9:43 pm
by SurfinHerp
It's a little surprising that a mountain lion would be in the low desert in the middle of August. I understand that many of them move from the desert up into the mountains for the summer.

Did you hear about the mountain lion in Borrego Springs earlier this year (in May I think)? It was menacing hikers going to Hellhole Palms, so the trail had to be closed for a while. That's the same area where Jamez Evanz encountered a mountain lion while night hiking a few years ago.

Jeff

Re: Desert lions

Posted: October 14th, 2017, 10:18 am
by lateralis
Hey Nate
lol I so rarely get on the forum that I missed your reply, but to answer your question I did hear about the borrego cat. Though lions are not common in the low desert per se, they do venture out to other areas and cross fairly urban terrain to exploit resources in different parts of their range. The cat in thermal was likely using the storm water channel to move about as it serves as a great movement corridor through the Coachella valley. I've documented 3 lion kills at a place called dos palmas near the Coachella canal which runs along the east side of the Salton sea.
Cheers

Re: Desert lions

Posted: October 24th, 2018, 4:05 pm
by rpecora
I saw one at the enterance to Whitewater years ago. I pulled in and a group were spotlighting it going up the hill. Pretty cool to see. When I say years ago it was about twenty or more.