A trail camera set in California's Diablo Range recently captured a very special sight: a mountain lion and her cubs. The footage, posted to Instagram, was captioned, "This year all our dreams came true …"
The clip shows the mother stalking through the woods with three cubs in tow. The cubs all sport delightful spotted coats, an evolutionary development that camouflages them from predators. The video shows the mother nursing her cubs and then picking up one of them by the nape of its neck in true cat fashion.
The mountain lion is one of the most widely dispersed mammals in the world. You'll find them as far north as western Canada and south as Chile. There's no real difference between a mountain lion, a puma, or a cougar; they just tend to refer to the cat's location.
Mountain lions are a little bigger and are found in North America. They were once found all across the continent, but aside from an isolated population in Florida, they are now primarily found in the westernmost states, per the Wildlife Science Center.
As its extensive range suggests, the mountain lion is a vital part of the ecosystem. A study by Panthera found that they interact with 485 species. In the words of the researchers who study them, they are "nature's brokers." The carrion from their kills sustains many creatures in nutrient-sparse regions.
The video shows how important trail cameras can be in conservation efforts. They help researchers track often elusive species noninvasively and form effective future policies. Recently, some of the world's most elusive creatures have been caught on camera. Moreover, social media posts like this can inform and inspire the public.
The comments reflected this outlook.
One said, "What a wonderful moment we get to see, thank you."
Another felt a sense of kinship with the challenges of motherhood, saying, "Mums of all species work over time [sic]."
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