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Puma Profiles: P-10

Mountain lion among sticks and brush.

Male
Initial capture date: Winter 2008

First captured in the winter of 2008 at around a year and a half old, this male exemplifies why this species has earned the “ghost cat” moniker. In May of that year, the GPS on his collar failed, but VHF signals were still retrievable. A researcher honed in on the signal and discovered the cat in the front yard of a home in Pacific Palisades, sitting in the shade of the bushes next to the driveway (video). As a young dispersing male, he was probably testing his boundaries and got caught by the morning light, hunkering down in the shade before likely leaving. The residents were unaware of P-10’s presence until the researcher knocked on their door. P-10 was darted, outfitted with a new collar, and moved to nearby open space. He’s the son of male P-1 and female P-6. Since P-1 is P-6’s father, P-1 is both father and grandfather to P-10. He died in the winter of 2010 due to unknown causes. When his body was found, it was too decomposed to test for the cause of death.

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Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

Last updated: January 19, 2023