Local Name:    Mountain Lion

California Mountain Lion Habitat and Population Estimates 

The California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) estimates that there are between 4,000 and 6,000 mountain lions currently residing in the state. This number is partially based on the results of a 1972 study, and CDFG acknowledges that "any statewide estimate of the mountain lion population is just a 'guesstimate.'" and that "Without an ongoing statewide mountain lion study, it is impossible to know what is happening on a statewide basis with [lion] populations.

Unfortunately, statewide mountain lion population totals cannot properly indicate the health of the species, because an abundance of lions in one region does not mitigate the human-caused stresses placed on them in others (i.e. isolated habitat in Southern California, widely scattered 5-acre ranchettes on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountain range).

History of Mountain Lion Management in California

Historically, mountain lions were heavily persecuted in California. Classified as a "bountied predator" from 1907 to 1963, a record 12,461 mountain lions were killed (more than any other state) and turned in for the bounty. The bounty on California's mountain lions was repealed in 1963, and the species was reclassified as a "non-protected mammal."

In 1969, the state legislature again reclassified mountain lions as a "game mammal." This action was undertaken to control supposed livestock damage and to "manage" mountain lions through regulated hunting. In 1971 and 1972 California held its only regulated lion-hunting seasons, during which time 118 mountain lions were killed for sport. In 1971, the state legislature passed new legislation, signed by then governor, Ronald Reagan which placed a moratorium on the sport hunting of mountain lions. The lion hunting moratorium, which started on March 1, 1972, was maintained until 1986 at which time the regulated hunting of mountain lions was once again authorized. Despite this authorization, political pressure from individual citizens and conservation organizations such as the Mountain Lion Foundation (MLF) kept lions from being hunted for sport in California over the next four years.

In 1990, a coalition of conservation organizations, including MLF, placed Proposition 117--the Mountain Lion Initiative on the statewide ballot. This proposition, the first to have been placed solely with signatures collected by volunteers in California, passed on June 5, 1990 with 52.42 percent of the vote. Officially known as the California Wildlife Protection Act, Proposition 117 reclassified mountain lions in California as a "specially protected mammal," permanently banned the sport hunting of lions in the state, and allocated $30 million to be spent annually for 30 years on the acquisition of critical habitat for mountain lions, deer, oak woodlands, endangered species, riparian habitat, and other wildlife.

In 1996, trophy-hunting proponents got the state legislature to place Proposition 197 on the March primary ballot. Drafted in part by the Safari Club, this initiative was presented to voters under the guise of "public safety" concerns in an effort to overturn the ban on killing mountain lions for recreational purposes. Proposition 197 was overwhelmingly rejected by 58.12 percent of California's voters.

Since the 1996 failure to repeal the State's lion-hunting ban, there have been numerous unsuccessful attempts by lawmakers to introduce legislation that would overturn Proposition 117's lion-hunting restrictions.

At this time, California has no formal management plan for mountain lions. State law requires CDFG to issue a depredation permit against any offending lion, if a resident requests one and there is proof that the mountain lion has preyed on or threatened domestic animals or private property. Mountain lions can also be killed at any time if deemed a threat to the public's safety.

Human-Caused Mountain Lion Mortalities in California

Since 1907 (the first year data is available) an estimated 15,151 mountain lions have been killed by humans in California. This figure does not include:

• lion deaths from road accidents,

• secondary poisoning,

• kittens or injured adults euthanized by CDFG,

• death by unknown causes,

• poaching,

• and of course the renown "shoot-shovel-and-shut up" practice espoused by many ranchers.

Most of these deaths (12,461) occurred prior to 1963 while mountain lions were considered a bountied predator.

California's Killing Fields

Based on a lion-mortality density model developed by the Mountain Lion Foundation, California averages 0.16 mountain lions reported killed by humans for every 100 square miles of habitat. The eleven western state average is 0.65. Using MLF's mortality ranking system, California ranks 11^th (least deadly) amongst the 11 states studied by MLF in reported human-caused mountain lion mortalities.

Depredation related occurrences account for 94 percent of all reported human-caused mountain lion mortalities in California. Notably, "hobby-farm" animals, such as sheep and goats, are currently the most common type of domestic animal involved in human-lion conflicts. According to one California Fish and Game Warden, who has had to kill numerous lions on depredation permits, the number of lions killed in California could be reduced by at least 50 percent if people properly protected their domestic animals.

The California Department of Fish and Game compiles mountain lion mortality data on a countywide basis, primarily by maintaining a database of depredation permits issued for lions that prey on or threaten domestic animals. According to 37-years of records (1972-2008), Mendocino (316) Siskiyou (174) Humboldt (158) Shasta (116) and Calaveras (113) counties are the top five locales where mountain lions are killed by humans for depredation purposes in California.