Photos: Cougar roams far and wide

Railroad tracks cross San Mateo Creek at Trestles surfing beach in north San Diego County, where a mountain lion known as M56 stopped on his journey south. The cougar, wearing a tracking collar affixed by researchers covered more than 100 miles over about two months.
See full story  (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

M-56 followed the San Luis Rey River from Oceanside and under the 1930s-era bridge that spans the lush riparian habitat.
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About five weeks into his southbound journey, M-56 crossed Interstate 15, most likely via the underpass at Gopher Canyon Road north of Escondido.
See full story  (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

About a week after M-56 crossed I-15, he passed through a tunnel under Valley Center Road that connects wildlife habitats. Paw prints of unidentified animals are left in the soft soil.
See full story  (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

Dawn breaks over the Santa Ysabel Valley in north San Diego County. M-56 was tracked moving across the wide valley near the mountain town of Julian. Researchers tracking the cat say he stopped in the area and fed on wildlife, most likely a deer, over two days.
See full story  (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

A flock of wild turkeys crosses a road in Santa Ysabel. The abundant and varied wildlife in the area makes it prime mountain lion habitat.
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M-56 crossed the San Ysabel Valley, shown here in a view to the southeast.
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Stars fill the moonlit sky where Interstate 8 crosses a broad valley at La Posta Road east of San Diego.
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Jaime and Don Dyer look over the sheep pen where M56 killed eight sheep over two nights.
See full story  (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

Don Dyer, 48, repairs a fence at the family spread in the Japatul Valley east of San Diego. He has lived in the valley most of his life but had never seen a cougar in the wild.  (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)