At dawn, a mountain lion climbed silently and unseen over a high iron gate and crept down the driveway of Ron Aldana's ranch in Los Gatos. It pounced on his pet goat, Chupita, killing her immediately.
But the deadly attack left a vital clue: saliva.
A sample quickly taken from the dead goat’s wounds is an element of a small but growing collection of DNA from wild predators that might be used for the brand new Bay Area Carnivore-Cattle Interaction Project (BACLIP).
Similar to DNA collected by police at crime scenes, a tiny amount of genetic material can provide insight into the identity of the mountain lions or coyotes that hunt on the outskirts of our communities, sometimes killing pets and livestock in the method.
BACLIP was developed after extensive discussions with local ranchers and is a partnership between the non-profit Panther and that Midpeninsula Regional Open Space DistrictUC Cooperative Extension, UC Santa Cruz and CSU Fort Collins, amongst others.
The five-year project, which began in 2022, focuses on mountain lion and coyote deaths in three counties: Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and San Mateo. It could reveal whether the identical animals are answerable for repeated attacks on pets – and suggest solutions, said Panthera wildlife biologist Veronica Yovovich, who’s leading the project.
“We're trying to figure out how to minimize losses from carnivores,” she said. With enough data, “we can say something meaningful about predators and 'problem animals.'”
For example, if the identical DNA patterns appear in samples from different incidents, this implies that a single predator is a repeat offender that has developed a preference for domestic and livestock.
If the DNA pattern is exclusive, the predator can have simply grabbed an animal unlucky enough to cross its path. The killing was opportunistic, not strategic.
In crimes against humans, DNA has been used to prove suspects' involvement in crimes and to free individuals who have been wrongfully convicted. It has been crucial in several high-profile criminal cases, similar to the Golden State Killer.
BACLIP's wildlife project is a research project, not a management tool. While it is going to not quickly discover a selected 'problem animal', its general findings will inform livestock and wildlife policy and help develop tools to stop attacks.
“It will help determine the best ways to prevent mountain lions and coyotes from interacting with livestock and pets so we can coexist,” said Leigh Ann Gessner of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, which manages 70,000 acres of the Santa Cruz Mountains, connecting the San Francisco Peninsula to the San Mateo County coast and the South Bay.
Based on the bleeding patterns, the BACLIP research team can determine whether the pet was killed by a carnivore or just eaten as carrion after a natural death.
DNA taken with a cotton swab can reveal whether the predator's DNA belongs to a mountain lion, a coyote, a doggy or one other animal. It may even reveal the identity of a person.
So far, BACLIP has sent an estimated 10 samples to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Genetic Research Laboratory for evaluation. The results are still pending.
In the meantime, the team is testing different techniques to discourage predators. Possible strategies include using acoustic, visual and physical stimuli to scare them away. Turbo Fladry, a low-voltage electric fence with red markings, has been shown to assist protect livestock from wolves within the Great Lakes and northern Rocky Mountain regions. Panthera is currently testing the fence to see if it is going to deter the Bay Area's mountain lions.
“This research has far-reaching benefits,” Gessner said. “It will provide information that can help public land managers like Midpen and also private homeowners.”
In recent years, an increasing number of horror stories have appeared in public conversations and on Internet forums, reporting on brazen predators attacking each pets and livestock.
Wild carnivores pose a growing threat as their numbers have increased dramatically – and an increasing number of Californians continue to exist the sting of the wilderness.
In California, each cougars and coyotes were once heavily hunted. However, they became afraid of humans and their numbers declined.
In 1990, the passage of Proposition 117 – commonly generally known as the “mountain lion initiative” – permanently banned sport hunting of lions in California. An estimated 3,200 to 4,500 mountain lions roam the state today. The Santa Cruz Mountains form the biggest contiguous mountain lion habitat within the Bay Area, with an estimated 50 animals there, in accordance with Chris Willmers, a professor at UC Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz Puma Project.
Coyotes are much more ubiquitous. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife estimates there are 250,000 to 750,000 coyotes nationwide. Postmortem examinations of their stomachs reveal a hodgepodge of samples: rabbits, birds, bugs, fruit—and the occasional cat or dog.
As more land is developed for human use, wild areas turn out to be fragmented, making it harder for wildlife to seek out shelter, water, and open terrain. Mountain lions can traverse yards and pastures. Coyotes adapt to the noise and hustle and bustle of city life.
Ron Aldana built an imposing 8-foot-high fence to guard his small ranch on Summit Road within the Santa Cruz Mountains.
At dawn on June 11, Aldana let Chupita out of her night pen in a barn. Then he went inside to make breakfast. He heard his dogs barking, but ignored it.
An hour later, he walked down the driveway together with his dogs and was horrified to find Chupita, a goat that had died from a bite to the neck and was missing a part of its thigh.
He spotted large paw prints on the 2 freshly painted stucco columns that support his wrought iron gate. At six feet tall, the gate was barely lower and easier for a cat to climb than the fence.
“We were devastated,” said Aldana, who called the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for help. A wildlife officer responded immediately and took a DNA swab from the wound. “It happened so quickly. The mountain lion must have been nearby, waiting.”
Out of concern for his dogs' safety, he leaves them in the home at night. He waits with them at dawn and dusk.
He discovered the skeletons of two deer nearby and heard reports of one other cougar attack within the neighborhood earlier this 12 months.
“The research is a great idea,” he said. “If it's proven that an animal does all this, that would be good to know. Especially if it's a crazy animal.”
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