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2 Mountain Lion Litters Found In Santa Susana Mountains

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) - The National Park Service has released photos and video of two litters of mountain lion kittens in the Santa Susana Mountains north of Los Angeles.

The Park Service said Wednesday the five kittens - three females and two males - were tagged and returned to their dens.

The service studies how mountain lions survive in fragmented and urbanized habitat around Los Angeles.

Five Mountain Lion Kittens Found

Last month was a big one for our mountain lion researchers. They found a total of five kittens in the Santa Susana Mountains! P-48 and P-49 were born to P-35. And P-50, P-51, and P-52 to P-39. In both cases, P-38 is suspected to be the father. It's great that our local big cats are reproducing, but these kittens will face challenges as they grow up, from roads to rat poison to males finding their own territory. - Ranger Zach

Posted by Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area on Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Biologist Jeff Sikich says lions appear to be reproducing successfully. But he says the real challenge is when the kittens grow older, disperse and have to deal with threats from other mountain lions, road mortality and poisons.

One litter includes two females, offspring of a mother dubbed P-35. The others are two males and a female born to mother P-39. Both litters likely have the same father, P-38.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.

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