Elk NetworkMountain Lions Don’t Like Politics

General | July 10, 2017

Apparently humans aren’t the only creatures sent scurrying by loud political commentators. Same goes for mountain lions.

Scientists at the University of California at Santa Cruz wanted to gauge the reactions of mountain lions in a unique kind of way so they installed motion-sensitive cameras at locations where the predators stash their prey.

When a lion entered the area, that movement triggered both a camera video recording as well as the release of an audio recording of a political talk show host. More than eighty percent of lions high-tailed it out of there. And there was no favoritism for either political party, whether Rachel Maddow, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck or Amy Goodman.

“Pumas are nonpartisan in their hatred of American politics,” PhD candidate Justine Smith, told the Washington Post.

The goal of the research is to focus on fear in the lion’s world.

(Photo source: California Department of Fish and Wildlife)