Mountain lion killed on Highway 17 in northern Santa Cruz County

A mountain lion was killed on Highway 17 last week, wildlife groups said.

The California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife notified the Santa Cruz Puma Project a few days ago that the body of a male mountain lion had been found on the roadway. It’s one of 13 hit on Highway 17 since 2007.

“We can see from our own camera pictures that this particular lion keeps walking up to the freeway and turning around and this one night it decided ‘oh I’m going to try crossing it anyway’…and didn’t make it,” said Stephen Slade, deputy director of the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County.

For the last few years, the Puma Project and other organizations have been studying mountain lions in this area with motion sensor cameras, working on a plan to protect them.

“It’s sad, it’s sad because it’s unnecessary. And that’s why we are trying to do something so it doesn’t happen again,” Slade said.

At the start of Laurel Curve, where this animal was hit, the Land Trust is working on putting an underground tunnel where mountain lions can cross the road safely without disrupting traffic.

The spot was selected because it fits with the path mountain lions take to find water.

“Because it’s a natural drainage, it’s the route lions are already trying to take,” Slade.

The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County believes the wildlife tunnel project will help protect the animals as well as those trying to avoid them.

“That’s also a danger to motorists. So the safety element here is both for the wildlife and for people in danger of hitting them,” said Slade.