Environment
The Private Lives of L.A.'s Mountain Lions
In these captivating photos, a mother and her kittens chow down on a deer in the Santa Monica Mountains.
It was meal time in the Santa Monica Mountains and a family of mountain lions sat down to devour a deer carcass. Nearby, a remote camera set up by the National Park Service watched as they ate. In most of the photos, the lions pay no attention to the camera, content to munch on a detached deer leg. But in a few, the carnivores stare directly into the lens, offering a glimpse into their enormous golden eyes.
Earlier this week, the rangers of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area shared these photographs on their Facebook page. The images are captivating enough on their own, but they are also important for another reason entirely: they remind us that we aren't the only animals trying to find our place in the urban ecosystem.