Mountain Lion Foundation

OUTREACH AND EDUCATION The Mountain Lion Foundation fosters appreciation of mountain lions and their ecological significance. Mountain lions are an indispensable keystone species. However, like many top carnivores, mountain lions suffer from some widely held, but false and harmful misconceptions. Our educational outreach dispels those myths and misinformation and helps people to see mountain lions as a vital apex species deserving preservation rather than exploitation. In fiscal year 2024-2025, the Mountain Lion Foundation reached more people across the country than ever before through its strategic engagement of audiences via in person presentations, refocused social media, the website, revamped emails, new webinar content, and publications. The publication was the essential guide to recent scientific research on mountain lions.

COEXISTENCE THE - Mountain Lion Foundation cultivates proactive, community-based coexistence for the protection of both people and lions. We work in communities across the United States to highlight the fact that living with lions is not just possible, but simple. The Mountain Lion Foundation provides information, tools, and advice about protecting lions to a range of people families, farmers and ranchers, state agency personnel, journalists, rural decision makers, and more to help communities live peacefully among lions, address cougar encounters as they occur and give mountain lions everything they need to flourish. In fiscal year 2024-2025, the Mountain Lion Foundation responded with protective information and advice to many dozens of incidents across the country such as lion sightings, suspected depredations, and lion mortalities. We also disseminated information to hobby farmers and other members of the producer community that helped them coexist peacefully with their lion neighbors.

LOBBYING - In 20242025, the Mountain Lion Foundation achieved notable advocacy milestones by opposing harmful legislative efforts like Californias SB 818, supporting Colorados Proposition 91 to ban mountain lion trophy hunting, and actively participating in state legislative hearings (e.g., SB 427). They expanded public engagement through their Coexistence Ambassador Program in 11 states and reinforced legal advocacy through efforts such as a lawsuit against Utahs H.B. 469 Wildlife Related Amendments. Their strategies combined grassroots mobilization, expert testimony, educational campaigns, and legal action to influence public policy and protect mountain lions.