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ALL THINGS LION
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Feature Story |
THE DAY THE SAFETY NET FAILED:
CDFG ignores orphaned cubs and punishes rescue
group
A year ago two tiny mountain lion
kittens exposed a huge hole in
California’s mountain lion protection
policies.
Even the state known for
setting the standard in lion
protection still has work to do
before mountain lions will truly
be "specially protected."
The ban on hunting lions
for fun was only a first step;
clarifying policies and
facilitating communication
between the state Department of
Fish & Game, wildlife rescue
groups, and the public, remain
on the "to-do" list.
These two kittens learned
about the short-comings firsthand.
The California Department of
Fish & Game (CDFG) is the state
agency responsible for managing
wildlife and protecting mountain
lions
Unfortunately, that
protection was put to the test
on April 3, 2009, when two
malnourished orphaned cougar
cubs wandered into the community
of Solvang.
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The cubs had been seen on a golf course and in town
without their mother for
over a week and appeared
to be scavenging for
food from a dumpster.
Only
three-months-old, the
cats were too young to
survive on their own and
members of the community
felt it was time someone
stepped in to help.
When CDFG failed
to respond, on the
ground and ready to help
was Animal Rescue Team
executive director Julia
Di Sieno with her
volunteers.
Although still in
the process of obtaining
permit approval to hold
mountain lions, Julia's
staff were well trained
and one of the few
wildlife rescue
facilities recognized by
the state.
They quickly
captured and transported
the two spotted kittens
to the ART facility near Santa Barbara in their wildlife ambulance and
a veterinarian began
medical treatment.
Although
this story could have
had a happy ending - a
local group stepping up
to help CDFG by rescuing
two orphaned lions - the
story is far from over. Due to the fact
Julia's team technically
broke the law by
handling, transporting,
and caring for two
mountain lions
(why
is this illegal?),
local CDFG officers -
agents simply doing
their job - showed up
and confiscated the
kittens.
Julia later
received notice that the
Department intended to
press charges against
her and could choose to
revoke her facility's
license.
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The kittens then faced a rocky future which included a
bumpy ride in the back of a CDFG
pickup truck, spending the night
crammed together in a dog crate
at a pet hospital,
transportation to yet another
facility, exams from a second
round of vets, ultimately being
split up well over a year before
they would have in the wild, and
sent to zoos on opposite sides
of the country.
The kitten sent to the
east coast was subjected to
additional trauma by an airport
worker who paraded the cat
around for his buddies.
The second kitten
eventually found a home at the
Folsom Zoo located just outside
of
Sacramento,
California.
Although both cats are
wary of people, and rightly so,
zoo staff remain hopeful they
will eventually settle down and
begin to trust their caretakers.
As for Julia and the
Animal Rescue Team, an outpour
of public support and a meeting
with the Santa Barbara County
District Attorney resulted in
charges not being filed against
her, but CDFG will be monitoring
her facility closely.
This was an appalling outcome
for a situation where a rescue
team was only trying to help
their community and the native
wildlife.
Every state entrusts the
welfare of their wild animals to
the state game agency.
In
California,
residents have told CDFG twice
through ballot measures that
mountain lions are special and
should be treated with extra
care.
Yet, twenty years later,
policies still have not been
written, nor does CDFG seem
willing to work with the
numerous qualified groups, such
as the Mountain Lion Foundation,
that are eager to help.
In this case, CDFG proved
they are still more concerned
with their ego and maintaining
power than doing what is right
for the state's mountain lions.
How many more ballot
measures and mistreated kittens
will it take before they get the
message?
Why all the legal controversy
in the first place?
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Protecting Pets 
