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Mountain Lion Cubs Father In Santa Monica Mountains May Be Their Grandfather, Great Grandfather

(NPS Photo)
New Mountain Lion Cubs P-59 and P-60 In Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

They’re cute and they appear to be cuddly, but you probably wouldn’t want to play with the South Coast’s newest residents because they have sharp teeth, and big claws.

Researchers say they’ve discovered two new mountain lion cubs in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, and its possible their father may be related to them in four different ways, due to inbreeding.

They were found in the central part of the mountain range, and have been named P-59 and P-60.

Biologists think the mother is P-53, a two year old mountain lion who apparently had her first litter.

The father may be P-12. The researchers say if DNA tests show P-12 is the kittens’ father, it also means he is their grandfather, and great-grandfather due to inbreeding.

Highways in the region have limited mountain lion movement, and ultimately genetic diversity, and are one of the main reasons behind a proposal to create a Highway 101 crossing for wildlife in the Agoura Hills area.

Lance Orozco has been News Director of KCLU since 2001, providing award-winning coverage of some of the biggest news events in the region, including the Thomas and Woolsey brush fires, the deadly Montecito debris flow, the Borderline Bar and Grill attack, and Ronald Reagan's funeral. 
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