CA legislation remedy passed to better protect wildlife

Thanks State Senator Jerry Hill for introducing that legislation in January, 2013!

San Mateo County Times/Aaron Kinney, 3/1/13.  "Mountain lion response guidelines overhauled by Fish and Wildlife."

The mountain lion cubs killed were only 4 month old

"SACRAMENTO -- The California Department of Fish and Wildlife on Friday unveiled broad changes to its policies for responding to mountain lions that wander into cities and suburbs, a philosophical shift prompted in part by the fatal shooting Dec. 1 of two mountain lion cubs in Half Moon Bay. 

The new guidelines allow for the increased use of nonlethal measures and bolster training programs for wardens in capturing and restraining wildlife. They also would allow for the rehabilitation and release of captured lions, provided a law is passed giving the agency that authority.  ....  The new policies may also be applied, when appropriate, to black bears, coyotes and certain exotic wildlife, a subject Fish and Wildlife plans to analyze in more detail later this year.

....  The changes are similar to what Dunbar and other wildlife advocates proposed after the controversial shooting in December, when wardens decided a pair of cubs hiding under a porch constituted a threat to public safety. An autopsy determined the cubs were starving 4-month-olds."   Read article.

Related Fix Pacifica article - CA Legislation to protect mountain lions, 1/24/13, photograph included.  Note:  The photograph of two cubs above is from Balanced Ecology.org. 

Posted by Kathy Meeh