Lindsey Johnson Mountain Lion Inbreeding

Recently, I was talking to my friend who was telling me about how she learned about mountain lion, also known as cougar, inbreeding as a result of highways in one of her classes. I decided to do some of my own research on this because I found the topic to be interesting. I came across an article titled "Southern California mountain lions show first reproductive effects of inbreeding" published by UCLA in 2022 that discusses the effects of this inbreeding. The cougars in California, specifically ones in the Santa Monica Mountains and others in Santa Anas, have been closed off from other cougar populations because they cannot cross the highways that have been built in the middle of their territories. This has caused them to start inbreeding in order to survive, which is resulting in a great loss of genetic diversity. The article states that scientists found that the cougars had a 93% abnormal sperm rate. Some of the physical signs of the inbreeding include deformed tails and testicular defects. This issue puts the cougars at risk of extinction because the kittens have decreased fertility and lower chance of survival. The article suggests a way to reintroduce these isolated populations to hopefully increase the genetic diversity and prevent extinction. They suggest building wildlife bridges that will allow the cougars to cross the highway safely.

I think that this environmental issue is extremely saddening because humans are the ones to blame for it. Nature is being ruined because of human infrastructure. There have been so many beautiful natural places that buildings have been built on. Habitats are being taken away from animals all the time. I believe that we have a responsibility to protect wildlife because we are the ones who are endangering them. I support the building of wildlife bridges for these cougars. They are an important part of the ecosystem and if they were to go extinct, it would cause a lot more problems for the environment in those areas of California. Humans should be more considerate of their effects on the environment in future infrastructure projects. Humans are the only creatures capable of understanding their effects on the environment, and are therefore the only ones capable of protecting it. 

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