BIODIVERSITY

Westmont College’s campus and trails are home to an abundance of native wildlife, including large carnivores such as mountain lions, bobcats, gray foxes, black bears, and coyotes.  Our research explores how these animals interact with campus spaces and surrounding natural habitats, helping us better understand their behavior and promote safe coexistence between people and wildlife.

Encounters with large carnivores are rare on Westmont's campus, but these animals are present here at the wildland-urban interface as elsewhere.  Large cats like mountain lions are powerful wild animals that should always be treated with caution if seen. However, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, attacks on humans are extremely rare, and no mortalities resulting from attacks have ever been recorded in Santa Barbara county. Similarly, risks to humans from other large carnivores are very low. These carnivores naturally avoid people, and their presence is an important part of a healthy ecosystem. Through research and public education, we hope to replace fear with understanding and encourage our campus and neighboring community to appreciate and safely coexist with local wildlife.