Protecting Utah’s Mountain Lions -Education, Science and Coexistence in a Changing Landscape

Most people will never see a mountain lion in the wild.

Yet every day these elusive cats quietly share Utah's mountains with hikers, hunters, ranchers, and outdoor enthusiasts. For Denise Peterson, founder and director of Utah Mountain Lion Conservation (UMLC), helping people understand these remarkable animals has become a lifelong mission.

Who We Are

We are a dedicated and diverse group of Utah residents that are interested in mountain lions, their protection, management, and improving our understanding of them. We are not a pro-hunting or an anti-hunting group. We believe that mountain lions in Utah should be properly managed according to science and in a way that values the traditions of all Utahns including hunters, houndsmen, outdoor enthusiasts, and more.

In order to do our best work for mountain lions, collaboration with all wildlife stakeholders is one of our core beliefs. By working with one another on shared goals, we can accomplish more for Utah's mountain lions.

Our work in Utah began in 2017 with the goal of improving social tolerance of mountain lions through the use of community engagement, education, and camera traps. As our work evolved over time, we became involved with other wildlife communities that were concerned about mountain lions, their management, our understanding of them, their portrayal in the media, coexistence challenges, and public perception.

Our founder and director is Denise Peterson. Denise studied Natural Resources Management, Wildlife Biology, and Geographic Information Systems at Grand Valley State in Allendale, Michigan. She's worked on a wild felid study in the Peruvian Amazon evaluating wild cat interactions with prey species and the Central Region Cougar Study in Utah. She’s been working with mountain lions for over a decade now and has seen over 40 mountain lions in the wild.

Her work experience includes the Mountain Lion Foundation, Yellowstone to Uintas Connection, and Voices of Wildlife. She is also an experienced wildlife cinematographer, having worked on natural history films such as  "The American Southwest" and others that are still currently in production. She is also a contributor to the Wild Cat Imaging Project.

She's passionate about mountain lions and their continued existence wherever they are found. You can often find her in the mountains checking trail cams and tracking cats!

Additional team member information can be found at Utah Mountain Lion Conservation’s website.

From Education to Advocacy

While our organization was originally founded with the goal of focusing primarily on education, recent legislative changes in Utah have led us more into the realm of advocacy. Because of these changes, mountain lions in Utah can now be hunted, trapped, and snared year-round without any kinds of limits whatsoever. We also have an aggressive removal “study” that’s set to run for a minimum of three years. Over the course of the study, government hunters and trappers have been hired to kill as many mountain lions as they possibly can in each of these six study units. This includes females and kittens.

This study, however, is not scientifically or ethically defensible. We are actively working to restore science-based management for mountain lions in Utah.

Denise Peterson:

What Mountain Lions Have Taught Me

There are MANY things that I learned along the way from and about mountain lions. Early on in my career, I spent so much time buried in the literature learning as much as I could about mountain lions. However, it wasn’t until I became fully immersed in the field - their world - until I truly began to know and understand them.

Much of our work relies on the use of trail cameras to unveil their otherwise hidden lives. I’ve now spent over a decade tracking and filming these amazing cats and have worked with them in both North and South America. Over the years, they transitioned from data points in journal articles to real living, breathing individuals – all with their own, unique personalities. I learned just how playful and curious they are. How much time and energy mothers invest in raising their families. How, while there are things that we can generally true of mountain lions, at the end of the day, they all have a character that is uniquely their own. 

Some individuals can be cranky, especially when hungry, others can be devious little troublemakers that like messing with our camera equipment, others can be a bit lazy, it really depends on the individual. One of my biggest learning lessons though, is how remarkably well these cats coexist with humans. Yes, occasionally something can and does happen, but it is so truly rare. Think about how many people are recreating in the homes of mountain lions every single day. It’s a staggering amount of people. And yet, conflicts are so few and far between. It’s a testament to how good of a job that they actually do living alongside of us. 

Living Alongside Mountain Lions

I have spent so much time now immersed in their world. Tracking them. Filming them with our trail cameras and, when I’m lucky, in person. I’ve seen over 40 lions in the wild now. I’ve helped collar them for research. I’ve done den checks for studies and ran into moms, up close and personal. I have never had a negative experience with mountain lions. They are generally conflict averse and often choose flight over fight. I personally can’t wait until the next time I see a mountain lion!

That’s why we share their stories and teach people about how to read their body language and behaviour. It can make a huge difference in how an encounter plays out. A little bit of knowledge can go a long way!

The Hard Part No One Sees

One of the hardest parts of this work is contending with the stigmas and misconceptions that surround mountain lions, and the cruelty and intolerance of many livestock operators that, instead of implementing coexistence and conflict prevention methods, seem to prefer to resort to killing lions instead. 

For so long, people have been told that mountain lions are these vicious, bloodthirsty predators lurking around every corner, posing a threat to us and our families. These myths have perpetuated so much fear around these cats, but the reality of living with mountain lions is frankly so much different than the stories we’re told. 

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If our only exposure to mountain lions is when something goes wrong, of course we’re going to continue to think that they’re “dangerous” or “scary.” In reality, however, mountain lions are around us all the time. So many people have no idea. They’re masters of staying out of sight and out of mind. That’s why it’s imperative that we learn to have practical, grounded conversations about these cats. 

Just like any wildlife, yes, they can pose a risk. For sure. But let’s be honest, for one, about how big that risk actually is. And two, it’s important that we all learn as much as we can about what to do if and when we see a mountain lion in the wild. I’d also like to stress that just seeing a mountain lion doesn’t mean that it poses a threat. I’ve sat in a blind filming lions, I’ve run into them on camera checks and other chance encounters … the point I’m trying to make is that, if you do see a mountain lion while out on a hike, it doesn’t have to be scary. If the cat is just relaxed, respect its space and honestly, enjoy it. Most people will never see one in the wild.

However, if a mountain lion is displaying aggression, please leave your phone in your pocket and give the cat your full attention. These situations can often be de-escalated if you respond appropriately.

We work to address these fears and misinformation because, unfortunately, it can lead to intolerance and eventually, poor management strategies that negatively affect our mountain lions. We’d also like to see more of an effort made on the agricultural front to prevent conflicts with mountain lions. You can’t always kill your way out of a problem and that certainly applies to mountain lions. If you don’t take steps to prevent conflicts from occurring – whether that’s with livestock guardian dogs, predator-proof enclosures, range riders – then the problem will likely continue to occur, but wildlife – mountain lions – will pay the ultimate price. We need to implement coexistence practices both at the community level and on the range. Killing, while sometimes necessary, should not be the default response.

Never Giving Up

There are times that this work can be incredibly difficult, especially emotionally. We’ve gotten to know these cats in a way that most people could not imagine. I’ve invested years getting to know the individuals and telling their stories. When Utah stripped away all meaningful protections for mountain lions and implemented this aggressive removal study, it was absolutely devastating. Cats that I had filmed for years started disappearing. Others started showing up with horrific trapping injuries. Ever since the start of the study, I’ve seen dead families and orphaned kittens. Our population here is in sharp decline. We’ve got from between 2000-2700 individuals a few years back, to around 1100 in December 2025. The effects have been devastating. 

That said, no, I have never thought about giving up. Not once. Mountain lions need our help now more than ever. I feel a personal responsibility to them given how much time I have spent getting to know them and telling their stories. Everything that’s going on here has only strengthened my resolve. With each life lost, it only fuels my fire to turn things around for our lions. They deserve so much better. 

How You Can Help

If you want to help mountain lions, there are so many ways that you can do that; it just depends on how involved you want to get! 

At home, you can talk to your friends and neighbors about mountain lions. This includes talking about what they’re actually like and addressing concerns and fears, replacing them with facts. You can work with your community to implement coexistence practices, especially if you live in close proximity to mountain lions. No mountain lion’s life is worth that of a chicken. Learn how to build predator-proof enclosures, what to do with kids and pets, share what to do if you see a lion. There are so many things that we can do to coexist with mountain lions, but it has to occur at the community level.

If you’re concerned about mountain lion management, get involved with the decision- making process. This means attending local wildlife board and commission meetings and, if there’s been legislative changes, then working with your representatives to implement change for the better. Our wildlife managers and representatives need to hear from us. They need to know that we care about how our mountain lions are being managed. If they don’t hear from us, nothing changes – at least not for the better. And always, always, ALWAYS be respectful when talking to decision-makers. Nothing closes a door like coming to these people from a place of anger. Yes, sometimes (oftentimes) this work can be emotionally challenging, but to have a productive conversation, it has to come from a place of calm. 

You can also support conservation organizations that are actively working to bring about positive change for mountain lions. We’re working on building a coalition to restore science-based management in Utah. If you’d like to support our work or the work of any of our partner organizations, it would be greatly appreciated!

At the end of the day though, never underestimate your ability to change things for the better. Each and every one of us can make a difference. You don’t have to change the world, but every conversation, every action – no matter how big or small – can have an impact. 

One of the biggest challenges our lions face in Utah is not only the lack of management and the removal study, but it’s also the lack of awareness about what’s going on in the state. So few people realize just how bad it is for mountain lions in Utah. One of the things that would help us out the most is helping us raise awareness about the issue. Talk to your family, friends, neighbors, the news, your favorite podcaster, etc… about what’s going on with lions in Utah. Feel free to send us contact information for anyone who can help us spread the word!

If you live in Utah, please talk to your representatives and demand that protections for mountain lions be restored. We can express enough how important it is to be respectful. But they need to hear from us. They need to know that this is an issue that matters to us. Let them know that you are a voting constituent. Change happens when we all take action! We would also encourage you to contact the Division of Wildlife Resources and let them know that you don’t support the mountain lion removal study and that you want to see it ended. Again, be respectful. Being disrespectful can end up doing more harm than good.

Learn More

Learn more about the issue and how you can help at Utah Mountain Lion Conservation’s website.

Donations are always helpful as it covers expenses like print and other educational materials, our website, helps us boost important content on social media, and more! We’re an all-volunteer organization so every donation goes directly to supporting our work. We are fiscally sponsored by Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs and all donations are tax-deductible. You can donate here.

We’ll also be announcing a campaign we’ll be launching in July, so be sure to sign up for our mailing list and follow us on social media for more details soon!

Lastly, we’re always looking to do more events and webinars, if you have any ideas, please let us know!

Feel free to follow us on Instagram @utahmtnlionconservation.