National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 260 | California Mountain Lions

By Jess Repanshek - February 4th, 2024

Mountain lions are an incredibly charismatic animal on landscapes within, and adjacent to, the National Park System. But they’re seldom seen because of their nocturnal tendencies.

There recently was a new report that focused on a comprehensive estimate of mountain lions in California, and the number is much smaller than many had thought it was.

To discuss California’s mountain lion population, and efforts to protect that population, our guest today is Dr. Veronica Yovovich, conservation scientist at Panthera, the global wild cat conservation organization.

0:02 National Parks Traveler introduction
0:12 Episode Intro with Kurt Repanshek
0:34 The Offering - Bill Mize - The Sounds of the Great Smoky Mountains
0:58 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
1:21 Great Smoky Mountains Association
1:43 Episode 260 - California Mountain Lions
17:51 Escalante - Tim Heintz - The Sounds of Peaks, Plateaus and Canyons
18:14 NPT Promo
18:26 Interior Federal Credit Union
18:55 Episode 260 - California Mountain Lions Continues
38:59 Vista Verde - Tim Heintz - The Sounds of Peaks, Plateaus and Canyons
39:26 Episode Closing
39:57 Orange Tree Productions
40:29 Splitbeard Productions
40:40 National Parks Traveler footer

Mojave National Preserve

National Parks Traveler Podcast

Comments

Submitted by Mary Hannigan on February 16, 2024 - 5:43am.

There have been so many thousands of acres of forested land that have burned in the last ten years that the lions are running out of places to live. And how many have lost their lives in the fires? Not a winning situation for the animals or people.

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 322 | Congressman Jared Huffman

The first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s second term might be the most tumultuous first 100 days of any president. He certainly came in prepared to move his agenda forward, no matter what barriers to it existed.

We don’t usually discuss presidential politics, but President Trump has released a blizzard of executive orders and directives touching all corners of the federal government, including the National Park Service.

April 27th, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 321 | National Park Science At Risk

There has been much upheaval in the National Park Service this year, with firings, then rehires, and staff deciding to retire now rather than risk sticking around and being fired. There have been fears that more Park Service personnel are about to be let go through a reduction in force.

While Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has ordered the Park Service to ensure that parks are properly to support the operating hours and needs of each park unit,” that message said nothing about protecting park resources.

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National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 320 | George Wright Society

George Melendez Wright was a brilliant young scientist with the National Park Service back in the 1920s and 1930s. You could say he was ahead of his time, in that he wanted the Park Service to take a holistic role in how wildlife in the parks was managed.

April 6th, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 319 | Kilauea's Unrest

One of the greatest shows on Earth has been going on now for several months in Hawaii, where the Kīlauea volcano at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park has been erupting since late December. The Kīlauea volcano is the most active volcano on Earth.

March 30th, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 318 | Covering the Parks

There are more stories to be found in the National Park System than one could write in a lifetime. Or several lifetimes.

Sometimes those stories can be hard to spot. How many were aware of the factoid from Great Smoky Mountains National Park that Jennifer Bain dug up, that if you stacked up all of the park’s salamanders against its roughly 1,900 black bears, the salamanders would weigh more?

Talk about national park trivia.

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