New signs of wildlife returning to the Eaton Fire burn zone show resilience of Mother Nature

The Eaton Fire left behind a wasteland of devastation with miles of hillsides and neighborhoods turned to ash. But something miraculous is happening thanks to the resilience of Mother Nature.

From the smallest animals like the California newt to the apex predator mountain lion, life is returning to the fire-ravaged hillsides in the burn zone.

"Immediately, we had coyotes and then within a few weeks, we had the other animals that you've seen on the trail cams. Bobcats and owls... deer. And then we got the mountain lion," said Kristen Ochoa, founder of the Chaney Trail Corridor Project.

A powerful sign that a healthy ecosystem is returning.

The amazing animals captured on camera along the Chaney Trail Corridor in the San Gabriel Mountains are giving a team of UCLA researchers a rare real-time view of the recovery for animals and plants.

"We are seeing the regrowth of a lot of the trees, the elderberries, the San Gabriel Oaks... we've got some beautiful fire-following flowers that have just come up. So we're hopeful," Ochoa said.

The Chaney Trail Corridor Project was created to protect 78 key acres of property that serve as an animal highway between the urban interface and the San Gabriel Mountains.

Ochoa watched as the fast-moving flames in January destroyed their trail cameras. But new cameras and equipment are giving the team new insights on all kinds of animals.

"We don't know a lot about how bat communities form in this short time scale of just a couple months to a year after a wildfire," said Joey Curti, UCLA and Chaney Trial Corridor Project biologist. "About 17 species of the 25 that occur in the state of California occur here in Southern California, which is about half of the diversity of the whole United States."

Whether it's bobcats or bats, deer or coyotes, Ochoa says one thing is clear: the sudden quietness of the city is having a big impact on the animals.

"They clearly feel peaceful and relaxed, and I think this is an important time for them to have some sanctuary," she said.

That comes largely because so many of the popular trails in the area have been closed or restricted since the fire. Anybody who violates those closures could be hit with a $5,000 fine.