Wildlife experts explain why you won’t meet mountain lions in the Botanic Gardens Author: Holly Ober Share This: People venturing into the wild hills of the Botanic Gardens or on the south edge of campus might receive friendly warnings to watch out for mountain lions. A persistent rumor holds that the big cats roam the more rugged parts of campus and nearby mountains. Nestled against the Box Springs Mountains, with the 40-acre Botanic Gardens forming most of its southern border, the UC Riverside campus rubs shoulders with valuable habitat for many species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects. A bobcat photographed in the Entomology Building courtyard, December, 2020. (Quinn McFrederick)