Big Cats and the Border

New evidence reveals that mountain lions can fit through small wildlife crossing cut-outs on the border wall dividing the U.S. from Mexico. But researchers are concerned about the future connection of the population of the big cats. In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” carnivore ecologist Lisanne Petracca walks us through the monitoring being done to determine the potential effects of the construction of the 30 foot high wall along the Texas border on mountain lions (Puma concolor). Preliminary results show that openings the size of a sheet of paper could be the solution keeping the United States and Mexico populations connected. “Our Wild Lives” is The Wildlife Society’s biweekly podcast, sharing compelling stories from wildlife professionals doing critical work around the world. Your hosts, Katie Perkins and Ed Arnett, of The Wildlife Society, bring you thought-provoking conversations with leading experts and emerging voices. New episodes are released weekly wherever you get your podcasts.Read more: About Lisanne Petracca: https://www.tamuk.edu/agriculture/departments/rwsc/faculty-staff-rwsc/Petracca.htmlSpatial and Population Ecology of Carnivores (SPEC) Lab: https://thespeclab.weebly.com/Share your thoughts on the Our Wild Lives Podcast by sending us a text here!Become a member of The Wildlife Society: https://wildlife.org/membership/Support Wildlife, Invest in Wildlife Professionals: https://wildlife.org/donate/Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewildlifesociety/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewildlifesocietyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-wildlife-society/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The_Wildlife_Society