Young Mountain Lion Shot in Santa Monica

A young mountain lion was shot and killed in a Santa Monica courtyard in the early morning of May 22, 2012. Nearby streets were closed as California Fish & Game determined how to respond.

"With the Santa Monica Mountains nearby, we see all kinds of critters," said Lt. Calisse Lindsey Santa, of the Santa Monica Police Department.

Isolated populations of mountain lions in Southern California mountain ranges are seriously threatened, declining rapidly due to loss of habitat, urbanization, poisoning from rodenticides (rat poisons), and freeway barriers to dispersal. If Southern California were a separate State, mountain lions there might be on the endangered species list, as they are in Florida.

According to the National Park Service website: "Genetic analyses indicate that the Santa Monica Mountains mountain lions have low genetic diversity relative to mountain lions in the rest of the state. The long-term survival of a mountain lion population here depends on their ability to move between regions to maintain genetic diversity and overall population health."

National Parks Service scientists have tracked 22 mountain lions with GPS radio collars in the Santa Monica Mountains over the 10 year study. Click here to learn the fates of all 22 collared lions. After two male lions were killed last fall — one hit by a car and the other killed and mutilated by a poacher — scientists reported in early 2012 that they now believe only 4 to 8 lions still remain in the range.

If that is true, then the young lion killed today may have substantial impact on the viability of lions in the mountains north of Los Angeles. The Santa Monica Mountains are bordered by the Pacific Ocean at Malibu, and are home to Griffith Park, the Palomar Observatory, and the famous Hollywood Sign.

To express your thoughts on CDFG's mountain lion policies, and to advocate for more non-lethal options, please contact:
CA Fish & Game Mountain Lion Program Coordinator, Marc Kenyon,
(916) 445-3515
mkenyon@dfg.ca.gov

Please also consider signing this petition to Stop the lethal force of action against our wildlife animals! Created by Santa Monica native Cristina Cooper, the petition asks the Mayor of Santa Monica and CDFG officials to properly train law enforcement personnel to handle wildlife conflicts with non-lethal force.


        See a satellite view of this same area. CLICK HERE or click the map above.