Partnering for Change: The Journey to Secure a Better Future for Texas Mountain Lions by Monica Morrison

Texas mountain lions face incredible odds. Hunting and trapping remain unregulated as these cats have no protection in Texas. There is no data on the number of cats, no mandatory requirement to report killed lions and they’re classified as imperiled (S2)/threatened (S3) by TPWD. Yet, they persist in spite of our actions, especially in west Texas. Learn how Texas Native Cats is building an effort to help our apex predator through education, collaboration, and strategic partnerships.

Monica Morrison got her start with wildlife more than 20 years ago at the Dallas Zoo as a volunteer and tiger docent. Since that time, she has volunteered in various capacities at two Dallas-area big cat rescue centers. She participated in an ocelot study in Mexico and another in Kenya on African lions. She has also worked with organizations in South America on jaguar and other big cat projects.

In 2017, she founded Texas Native Cats, a nonprofit that provides education, outreach, and advocacy for Texas’ five species of wild cats, past and present. Two years ago, she turned her attention to the Texas mountain lion and works with other like-minded individuals to advocate for a change in regulations for our apex predator.