Mountain lions face greater risk of becoming roadkill in wildfire’s aftermath, study says
This aerial photo made on December 28, 2017 shows a portion of the fire that hit the Chelan National Forest in Washington state, which has been named the Chelan Complex Fire after authorities identified over one thousand structures it is thought to have damaged. (Photo Illustration: Washington State Department of Ecology/AFP/Getty Images) less This aerial photo made on December 28, 2017 shows a portion of the fire that hit the Chelan National Forest in Washington state, which has been named the Chelan Complex… more Photo: Washington State Department of Ecology/AFP/Getty Images Photo: Washington State Department of Ecology/AFP/Getty Images Image 1 of / 33 Caption Close Mountain lions face greater risk of becoming roadkill in wildfire’s aftermath, study says 1 / 33 Back to Gallery
Mountain lions and other wild prey found in the aftermath of wildfires in the western U.S. face an increased risk of becoming roadkill, according to a new study out Tuesday.
The analysis of wildfire-fire debris suggests that the animals may be more at risk when they are not able to flee the flames in time — a period of time that can be very brief, particularly for the larger, older male mountain lions. In fact, it may have been the briefest period of time in which the wild prey, which can’t run like the other species can, may have been at greater risk overall.
“When we’re discussing wildfires, those are really high risk for our wildlife. They’re the biggest thing out there and they’re changing the landscape for us,” said University of Oregon professor James Van Dyk, who worked on the study with Oregon State University and the Wildlife Conservation Society. “This isn’t a study about whether that’s really a bad thing. We’re here to just show what the consequences of those fires are, the actual outcomes.”
The study’s findings were published in the journal Ecological Applications.
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