Hidalgo’s Environment Ministry
confirmed the birth of mountain lion cubs in the mountainous area of Actopan, after camera traps captured two sightings that had been reported by neighbors of nearby communities.
In 2017, Héctor Cruz , mayor of Actopan, a municipality located 30 minutes away from Pachuca , asked for the support of the Environment Ministry to detect if the attacks reported by local people corresponded to a feline .
In that way, they started a job in coordination with several agencies and members of the Group of Experts for the Sustainable Management of Jaguars and other Felines in Mexico.
The monitoring began in 10,000 hectares of the region of Actopan, where they could confirm the presence of the puma concolor . Currently, the monitoring extends to 23,300 hectares . The first time a cub with its mother was registered on camera was on February 16th , very close to the community of Chiquihuiteros .
On April 13th , there was another sighting.
Female mountain lion with two cubs.
The life cycle of mountain lions, according to experts, includes mating in any season of the year and, on average, there are from one to three cubs in temperate regions; the gestation period lasts approximately 90 days .
Likewise, litters are born every two years and most births take place before rainy season ; cubs stay with their mother for 15 months , on average, and then go away to look for their own territory.
For the preservation of the puma concolor , 20 deer were freed last December to reestablish ecologic balance and prevent mountain lion attacks to backyard animals.
Currently, 33 attacks have been reported until August 2019 , reason why affected communities have been supported by the livestock fund with which 200 heads of livestock have been replaced.
In addition, they have also worked in the development of workshops on environmental education and training and coexistence with the feline.
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