Robert Martinez is on the trail of one of his favorite animals: Mountain lions. As a citizen scientist and photographer, he sets up camera traps, motion-sensor cameras that film and photograph animals as they pass by.
The resulting images include bears, bobcats, gray foxes, owls, skunks, snakes, deer, birds, mountain lions, and other animals native to the Angeles National Forest.
I love sharing my videos with people so I can raise awareness… to get people a clue what’s going on in their local foothills. Most people don’t know what really lives here. They think the lions just live somewhere else or somewhere very deep in the forest…
Right now I currently have 11 cameras out there at 8 different camera spots. A few spots have a video and a still picture camera paired side-by-side… My passion is seeing these mountain lions in their natural habitat and then raising awareness for the people so they develop a respect for these lions and hopefully fall love with them.
Follow the Los Angeles naturalist into the hills with this Quartz video. It includes a surprising discovery: a freshly-killed deer that will no-doubt lure mountain lions back for another meal and some excellent photos.
Reminder: Cougars are elusive predators and, unless threatened, will avoid confrontations with human adults. If you do come into contact with one, follow these National Park Service-recommended safety procedures.
Find Martinez on Instagram to see more images like these:
Then watch these related videos:
• Setting up 150 wildlife camera traps in Michigan
• Bears in the forest: What goes on when you are not there…
• A squirrel takes a GoPro up into the tree branches
• Polar Bears Eat Goose Eggs: New eating habits in warmer climates
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