Meet Adonis, a new mountain lion looking for love in Verdugo Mountains

GLENDALE, Calif. (KABC) -- A new wild cat in town was captured on video and is quietly staking his claim in the Verdugo Hills.

Meet Adonis, who was captured on cameras hidden away by local conservationists Dan Potter and Johanna Turner. They believe the new man is prowling for love.

"That's what completely drew Adonis on the first day that we got him on camera, I think it was two days later, he was already with Nikita," Turner said.

Nikita is the lady of the mountains above Glendale and Burbank. But biologists said every time she tries to have a family, it only ends in heartbreak.

"The male that was the king of the Verdugos, P-41, unexpectedly was found dead," Miguel Ordenana said.

Ordenana is a wildlife biologist. He said P-41 likely died from rat poisoning and all of the kittens they had together did not survive the wild. Now local organizations are trying to conserve pathways north to less urbanized areas so future offspring can leave when they are ready to start their own families.

"How you enjoy the park, how it looks right now, will not be the same if top predators are out of the ecosystem not keeping these prey populations in check," Ordenana said.

Turner said people who are scared of the wild animals should give them a chance.

"If they aren't out there attacking people or chasing down hikers now, there's nothing that's going to change that," she said.

It's possible that Nikita and Adonis might not feel a connection, but these cat fans hope their love story is a happy one.

Conservationists said everyone can do their part by avoiding the use of rat poison for pests and other things in yards because they go up the food chain and can end up in the stomachs of mountain lions.