N E W S
ALLIED ARTS GUILD 75 ARBOR RD - MENLO PARK OPEN TO THE PUBLIC MON-SAT 10AM-5PM
Restaurant - Shops - Gardens Events and Meeting Facilities Allied Arts Guild Annual Gala — Tally Ho Menlo Circus Club, Saturday September 10th Mountain lions are solitary animals that sleep away a good part of the day in and under trees, then move around between dusk and dawn, says researcher Yiwei Wang.
Tips on coexisting with mountain lions Mountain lion researcher speaks in Woodside
In general, mountain lions are solitary animals that sleep away By Kate Daly study that currently focuses on a good part of the day in and Special to the Almanac an area that extends from the under trees, then move around researcher who has spent border of San Mateo and Santa between dusk and dawn. As the last three years study- Clara counties, down to Aptos carnivores, Ms. Wang said, they ing mountain lions in and Soquel to the south, and to will eat almost any animal, such the Santa Cruz Mountains says U.S. 101, Morgan Hill and Gil- as a pig, coyote, skunk or rat, that due to development, people roy to the east. She estimates 75 but they prefer to dine on deer. pose a bigger threat to the ani- to 100 mountain lions are living A mountain lion eats an average mals than the animals pose to in the study area. of one deer per week. people. As of August, researchers have Females tend to weigh between Yiwei Wang, a doctoral stu- captured 26, tranquilized them, 80 and 90 pounds, whereas dent in environmental studies and outfitted them with track- adult males are heavier, usually at U.C. Santa Cruz, spoke to ing devices to study their behav- between 120 and 140 pounds. about 50 people at Females need about 25 Woodside’s Indepento 30 square miles for dence Hall on Aug. territory. Males Yiwei Wang, who spoke their 25. She was invited to cover 100 to 200 square in Woodside, is working miles and fight other talk after numerous reports of mountain males over turf. on a field study of lion sightings in the Ms. Wang mountain lion behavior described the study area. Only six human area as “a patchwork in this area. fatalities involving of developed areas and mountain lions have open spaces.� One outPhoto by Kate Daly been recorded in growth of her work is California since 1890, she said, ior and patterns. The collars figuring out potential corridors and two were from contract- have GPS and accelerometers for mountain lions to travel in, ing rabies. Yet, mountain lions that provide continuous feed- so they aren’t so fragmented and still scare people because of the back. Additionally, 50 camera can still find mates and hunt association with the days when traps have been set up to take for food. She said discussions grizzlies and wolves roamed the pictures of wildlife in action. are under way with Caltrans state, and hunters were paid $20 The goal is to find out how to pinpoint where culverts or for each mountain lion pelt. mountain lions are using the overpasses would be beneficial Ms. Wang told how mountain land developed by people, the so wildlife can get under or over lions — also called pumas, cou- effect of humans on males ver- Highway 17. gars and panthers — were hunt- sus females, and how mountain The California Department of ed on the East Coast to the point lions and other predators inter- Fish and Game claims 85 to 90 of extinction. In California, they act, she said. percent of reported mountain became a “specially protected A few weeks ago one of the lion sightings are false. In many mammal� in the 1970s. Still study animals was run over on cases, other animals, such as “several hundred are killed a Highway 17. “Several have been coyotes, bobcats or dogs, are year for depredation,� she said. shot or poached, a couple hit mistakenly identified as mounFor example, some are shot if by cars, a few died of natural tain lions. they go after livestock. causes; we’re probably down to Mountain lions “can see us, Ms. Wang is working on the 10 with functioning collars,� See LIONS, page 12 Bay Area Puma Project, a field Ms. Wang said.
A
For more details, please see our website: www.alliedartsguild.org Or Call (650) 322-2405
In Memoriam September 11, 2001 Filoli will waive admission fees Sunday, September 11, 2011 Opening 11:00 am Last Admission 2:30 pm
This announcement made possible by the generous support of Hood & Strong LLP San Francisco and San Jose
f iloli
ZZZ ÂżOROL RUJ &DxDGD 5RDG :RRGVLGH &$ )LOROL LV D KLVWRULF VLWH RI WKH 1DWLRQDO 7UXVW IRU +LVWRULF 3UHVHUYDWLRQ
September 7, 2011 N The Almanac N 9