Adam Grove, a FWP wildlife biologist in Townsend, knew before the hunter reported the harvest that the lion from Canada was likely dead.

That’s because Canadian wildlife authorities had already notified him that the cat’s GPS collar had sent out a mortality signal, which occurs when there is no movement for 12 hours.

The hunter was not aware of the lion’s history, Grove said.

“It reaffirms the capacity of lions to disperse and remain genetically connected,” Kolbe said of the great distance the lion traveled. “We’ve seen this with other research projects.”

The cat’s movements demonstrate how lion populations are genetically connected across North America, Kolbe added.

While males travel longer distances to establish home ranges, females typically have home ranges closer to the home range of their mothers, Kolbe said.

The average dispersal for a female is more on the order of 25 to 40 miles if they disperse at all, Kolbe said.

“That’s part of what makes this case so interesting,” he said.