Los Angeles, California - A wildlife expert that specializes in mountain lions has warned of the devastating impact ongoing fires in the Los Angeles area may have on local species.

As tens of thousands of people prepare to rebuild after the catastrophic blazes, Beth Pratt, the California executive for the National Wildlife Federation, highlighted the suffering of other residents in the neighborhood.

Mountain lions roam areas that have been completely destroyed by the wildfires.

"This is the LA area – these mountain lions can't move into the Kardashians' backyard," Pratt told The Guardian. "My heart is very heavy right now."

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She warned that fires will further deteriorate mountain lions' ecosystems and lead to starvation among those who managed to survive the flames themselves.

The destruction reaches further than the mountain lion population. While the fire cycle is a natural part of how ecosystems in the Santa Monica Mountains in particular continue to flourish, the frequency and severity of recent fires in the area are beyond normal for local plants and animals.

Pratt is also concerned that the fires could have ongoing impacts on other forms of wildlife, especially seeing as mountain lions rely on an abundance of prey for their food supply.

"Everything from mountain lions to monarch butterflies will be impacted by this vast loss of open space, adding yet another challenge to the many they already face in this urban-wild interface," Pratt said in a post on X.

"The habitat will come back, of course, but it may come back differently."