Protect Mountain Lion Cubs in CA

When residents of Half Moon Bay, California, called the California Fish and Game to report two baby mountain lions who were near downtown, wardens put in a request for a pole syringe and tranquilizing drug. But for some reason, when they arrived at the scene, they killed the cubs instead.

Yes, mountain lions are wild animals with the capacity for violence and should be treated with caution. But these two were siblings, most likely orphaned, who were wandering the area and taking shelter in crawl spaces.

They were also only nine months old and weighed roughly 25 pounds each: not exactly lethal predators.

In the Bay Area, there exist several wild animal organizations whose first response isn’t “shoot first, ask questions later.” California Fish and Game should take their cue from them when it comes to wildlife response.

Ask the California Department of Fish and Game to establish protocols for handling wildlife in residential spaces, so no more baby mountain lions have to needlessly die!