Photos: Mountain Lion Family Feast

Mom's the best

Mountain lion cub P-28 — (Image credit: National Park Service)

These amazing images of a mountain lion family feasting on a mule deer carcass were captured with a remotely-activated camera in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The adorable cubs, one female, one male, practiced their hunting skills on the dead deer while their mother kept a protective watch. While rare in Southern California, the charismatic cats are not considered an endangered species. The cubs are about 10 months old.

Warning: Some images may be graphic to certain audiences.

I got you!

mountain lion cub — (Image credit: National Park Service)

The female cub, called P-28 by wildlife biologists, tested her "kill bite" on the deer's neck.

Too bright

Boy cub P-30 looks annoyed with the camera's flash.

Fight or flight

Mother mountain lion P-13, who brought down the deer.

What's that, mom?

The male kitten, dubbed P-30, checks out the camera. Mom is in the background, wearing a GPS collar.

That's strange

The girl cub, P-28, seems curious about the commotion.

Blast from the past

P-13 when she was newly collared in 2009.

Becky Oskin covers Earth science, climate change and space, as well as general science topics. Becky was a science reporter at Live Science and The Pasadena Star-News; she has freelanced for New Scientist and the American Institute of Physics. She earned a master's degree in geology from Caltech, a bachelor's degree from Washington State University, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz.