Camera Snaps Anticipated Wildlife Sighting

For a conservationist, the greatest news is seeing well-preserved and protected wildlife/environment. The next best thing is seeing animals whose lives are constantly being threatened show up in their numbers—and healthy too. Imagine the feeling when what you’ve been waiting for gets captured on a trail camera. 

Denise is the founder of the Utah Mountain Lion Conservation. As the name suggests, this organization is “a dedicated and diverse group of Utah residents interested in mountain lions, their protection, management, and improving our understanding of them.”

Denise had big news to share. But like a good Instagrammer, she needed to build the anticipation for it first. She took to her Instagram page to share a few highlights from the weekend’s mountain adventures. She wrote about testing out an ankle on a steep hike, a solo scouting trip, etc.

Denise wanted nothing more than to see baby mountain lions. It was very rare to find them, but her hopes were sustained when she found two mountain lions (male and female) wandering around.

Patience is a virtue, they say; Denise eventually got the reward of her perseverance some time in February. She sighted three cute baby mountain lions with their mom on the footage as they roamed through the snow.

According to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Utah boasts of an estimated 2,500 mountain lions. There’s no way to determine the exact number because the cats are pretty difficult to track.

If adult mountain lions are elusive, their kittens are even more scarce. This may be because they have very low survival rates. So, you can imagine how exciting it was for Denise to get all three of them captured on the cam.

According to Denise, baby mountain lions stay with their mothers for about two years. It’s during this period that they learn survival skills like prey selection, stalking, and caching from their mothers. They also learn how to hunt, identify and avoid dangerous areas, etc.

Mountain lions are called ecological engineers because of the crucial role they play in ensuring that the larger ecosystem functions properly. By doing so, they also contribute immensely to the war against climate change.

For most human families, what makes them strong is their ability to stand by each other no matter what. Interestingly, it’s the same thing for some animals, especially mountain lions.

What’s your happy place? For some, it’s meditation, taking a walk in nature, their homes, etc. But for Denise, her answer is simple—up in the wild, tracking mountain lion tracks and setting up cams.

While Denise’s hobby may seem really exciting, it’s not without its challenges. According to her, “not everyday is perfect though. I can’t remember the last time I didn’t have a headache. It’s been more than five years now. I miss being able to move through the backcountry with confidence.”

Denise penned down the thrills and lessons she learns from being out in the wild. “But, ya know what? I’m alive. We all are. Each and every day is precious. Make the most of it! Get out there! Live your life like each day is your last. Do good. Help others. Make a difference, no matter how big or small it is,” she writes.

How can Denise tell the difference between these mountain lions, you may ask. This is one valid question as mountain lions look pretty much alike. In a post on Instagram, Denise shared pictures of two female mountain lions and noted how she could tell them apart by looking at their noses.

Tracking mountain lions is more than a pastime for Denise. Her primary goal is to advocate for the protection of these precious animals. She never loses sight of this objective and collaborates with other conservationists like Ivan Carter to spread the word.

Ivan Carter explained that from 1847 – 1966, when the Europeans settled in Utah, mountain lions were killed as vermin. This changed in 1967 when the Utah State Legislature gave cougars the “protected wildlife” status. 

In February, senator Scott Sandall, during a legislature session did the unthinkable. At the last minute, he changed section HB489 Sub 3 that gives Utah’s mountain lions a protected status.

What are the implications of this drastic change to section HB489 Sub 3. In his post, Ivan wrote, “the initiative we filmed is one of the biggest cougar studies in the United States history and being conducted by Brigham Young University and the Utah Division of Wildlife. The view of this study was to logically and scientifically learn more so that effective management and conservation principles can be applied to the species.”

Denise has called on all Utah residents and stakeholders to join the campaign to protect mountain lions in the state. “Utahns, this is YOUR wildlife held in YOUR trust under the North American Model of Wildlife Management! Current wildlife management plans involve voices of stakeholders representing a broad array of special interest groups,” she writes.

“How in 2023 with so much science at hand is it possible to downcast such an important species?” Carter asks. “Cougars will have less protection than a rabbit!”