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John Hollenhorst ReportingLet's call it "The Incredible Journey," a surprisingly long trip by a mountain lion across Utah and two other states. Scientists this week had an unprecedented look at that journey because of new technology, which is also proving that lions come closer to humans than many people think.
Mclain Mecham saddles up his mule and hits the trail with his hound dogs. His job is hunting lions in the Oquirrh Mountains. Yes, there are mountain lions, or cougars, just outside of Magna and West Jordan, West Valley City; a home video proves it.
Mclain Mecham, Lion Hunter: "Probably 80-percent of the ones I catch are in mine shafts and culverts."
After dogs chase the lion up a tree, the lion is tranquilized. It's given a collar and turned loose. Months or years later, Mecham can tune it in and figure out where it is.
Mclain Mecham: "Right now he's just probably on the top of the hill in the fog right there."
But radio collars are old-fashioned. The latest thing is a GPS collar, which records the lion's exact position several times a day or night. The data is stored in the collar for months until scientists retrieved it.
Dave Stoner, Utah State University: "The GPS unit has revolutionized our science."
Grad student Dave Stoner and professor Mike Wolfe analyze the data at Utah State. They've mapped lions close to homes at night, when no one notices.
Prof. Michael Wolfe, Utah State University: "We probably had some potential for that in the past, but as the density of humans increases, we're probably going to have more and more of that."
Nighttime is when the lions are usually on the prowl. That's when they're following deer and elk, sometimes right down to the valley floor. Tracking of a female lion shows she was in the Bingham cemetery 12 nights in a row.
Dave Stoner: "The sun would go down, she would venture about six miles down to a roadkill deer that she had cached in the cemetery."
A male lion traveled down the Jordan River to Utah Lake, then East through Utah County.
Dave Stoner: "We estimate that he could have crossed at least two or three miles of city streets to get to where he ended up."
The most spectacular lion trip was just documented this week. A female lion left the Oquirrhs last May. After crossing I-15 near Richfield, she headed north. In September she climbed a 10,000 foot summit, walked deep into Wyoming, doubled back to Utah, then headed for Colorado. A hunter shot her two weeks ago, still wearing her GPS collar. In total, she traveled 830 miles, something usually done only by males.
Mclain Mecham: "For a young female to leave like that is unreal, it's neat."
The data proves lions are around us, sometimes among us. Caution, but not panic are recommended on the edge of lion country.
Prof. Michael Wolfe: "It's part of our responsibility for living there, is that we have to be careful."
Lions have killed humans elsewhere, but so far, not in Utah.
Scientists have been collecting data from GPS collars for about 4 years.
