There's good news for the future of mountain lions in Southern California.
Four new mountain lion kittens were discovered prowling in a rocky area of the western Santa Monica Mountains.
The new litter, all female, is believed to have been born in late July, according to the National Park Service. They are known as P-109, P-110, P-111 and P-112.
They have all been tagged and will be part of an ongoing 20-year-old study into how the big cats' lives intertwine with the urban environment. On the day they were tagged, Aug. 24, they were estimated to be 34 days old. They weighed between 1.80 kilograms to 1.95 kilograms and all appeared healthy, NPS officials said.
Two adult female mountain lions were also added to the research group. The lions, known as P-105 and P-106, were captured in the Santa Susana Mountains. P-105, captured on July 28, weighed 93 pounds and is estimated to be about 4 years old. P-106 was captured on Aug. 3, weighed 91 pounds, and is estimated to be about 6 years old, authorities said.