"... After the near elimination of mountain lions from the United States in the first half of the 20th century, protective laws beginning in the mid-1960s allowed them to reestablish or increase their populations across the West. Mountain lions typically occur in topographically varied s. Their rugged habitat is one of the main reasons that lions are seldom seen. They live in areas with high prey densities and enough vegetation and topography for good hunting cover. Maternal females usually select dens in rock outcrops, dense shrubs, or under conifers well out of sight of people."