In mid- April, we noticed from 43F’s GPS data that she appeared to be denning. On April 20, when we suspected that the kittens were 4 weeks old, we hiked into the den. We had retrieved an updated location from the den the day before, and felt confident that we knew where to find it.
Upon arriving at the den site, we immediately noticed signs of puma presence. We located what looked very much like a den, but there were no kittens to be found. After an exhaustive search of the area, we concluded that 43F might have moved her litter, and decided to head back.
Unwilling to accept defeat, Paul took a different path down the ravine, looking and listening for more sign. A slight rustling sound in the bushes caught his attention and he went to investigate. There she was, one kitten at a new den site that was just established since we had checked the day before.
47F, kitten of 43F
We gave 47F a small, expandable kitten collar and an ear tag. Because the kitten collars are built to eventually fall off, the ear tag allows us to identify the kitten even after it is already an adult. After taking a few measurements, we returned 47F to her den. Because 43F lives in a very remote location (between Castle Rock and Big Basin State Parks), following her kitten will be an interesting contrast to our other females that have had litters in much more fragmented areas.