Lives of Mountain Lion Kittens Topic of UW

The lead scientist of Panthera’s Puma Program will detail the lives of mountain lion kittens at the University of Wyoming-National Park Service (UW-NPS) Research Center Thursday, July 26. The center is located at the AMK Ranch in Grand Teton National Park.

Mark Elbroch will discuss “The secret lives of mountain lion kittens” as part of the Harlow Summer Seminars.

He will speak at 6:30 p.m. at the AMK Ranch, located north of Leeks Marina. A barbecue, at a cost of $5 per person, will take place at 5:30 p.m. Reservations are not required. The talk is part of the weekly Harlow Summer Seminars series.

Elbroch’s visual and anecdotal presentation on the little-known lives of mountain lion kittens will be centered on his research conducted locally in and adjacent to Grand Teton National Park. His talk will be supported by footage captured by motion-triggered cameras in dens, around kill sites and at bedding areas.

He also will highlight Panthera's research quantifying changes in the local mountain lion population, and the current challenges faced by mountain lion kittens in particular as they grow, play and try to survive long enough to become independent adults.

The Puma Program helps to protect pumas across their expansive range by conducting critical ecological research, communicating the animals’ role in ecosystems, and addressing the wide-ranging persecution facing the species.

Elbroch has contributed to puma research and conservation in California, Colorado, Idaho, Washington, Wyoming, Chile and Mexico. His research is contributing radical changes to what is known about pumas, especially with their social lives and their keystone roles in ecosystems.

Formerly called the AMK Ranch Talk Series, the Harlow Summer Seminars program is named after retired UW Department of Zoology and Physiology Professor Hank Harlow, who helped make the UW-NPS Research Center a significant center for research and community outreach. Harlow began the popular weekly public seminars during the summer months.

For more information about the Harlow Summer Seminars, contact Michael Dillon at (307) 314-9833 or Michael.Dillon@uwyo.edu