Photos: Fresh lion kill in the San Gabriels

Photo: Robert Martinez

The mountain lions in the San Gabriels are not collared or tracked or given cute names by cubicle journalists — they're just wild animals — but Robert Martinez has a sense for putting his trail cameras where they like to feed. We've seen his images and videos before. His latest trove from this week catches two pumas in the middle of feasting on what looks to be a mule deer. Martinez has switched to color cameras and, yes, it's real life and there is visible blood.

"Check out these latest pictures from this last couple of days," Martinez told me tonight. "I found a fresh kill on Monday, set up my cameras, and the lions returned to feed only an hour after I left. Crazy stuff!

"I have two Bushnell video cameras and my new DSLR camera set up to capture all the action."

Martinez works the mountains above Glendora but doesn't divulge precisely where he puts out his cameras. He has photographed a remarkable menagerie, including different packs of lions, multiple bears, deer, foxes, a ringtail and other animals both at night and in the daylight. If you go hiking in the San Gabriel Mountains all I can say is keep your eyes open, your children nearby and leave your dogs at home. That roast beef sandwich? Wouldn't do it.

From this week:

Photo: Robert Martinez

Previously on LA Observed:
Untagged female mountain lion poses above Glendora
Trail cam in San Gabriels spots four lions together (video)
Two wary cougars slowly eat a deer in the San Gabriels (video)
Another LA-area lion drags away a deer on camera (video)*