Lifeline For Pumas: California Moves Toward Endangered Species Protections For Mountain Lions
Photos of mountain lions in Orange County, CA, by Mark Girardeau
California wildlife officials announced this week that protections for several mountain lion populations, from the Bay Area and Central Coast to Southern California, are warranted under the California Endangered Species Act. The final decision will come from the California Fish and Game Commission in February, marking a potentially historic step for the state’s iconic pumas.
For years, World Animal News has reported on the heartbreaking and devastating loss of mountain lions across Southern California. Many have died slow, agonizing deaths from rodenticide poisoning, while others have been struck and killed on busy highways as their shrinking habitat forces them to cross dangerous roads. These repeated tragedies highlight exactly why these cats need stronger, permanent protections.
“This is wonderful news for pumas across Southern California and the Central Coast, who desperately need our help,” said Sofia Prado-Irwin, Ph.D., a staff scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity. “These majestic cats have suffered so much from habitat destruction and vehicle strikes, and it’s no wonder that state wildlife experts are calling for permanent protections. This is a chance to show how California prioritizes and protects the wildlife that makes this state such an amazing place to live.”
The recommendation follows a petition by the Center for Biological Diversity and the Mountain Lion Foundation urging protections for six genetically distinct mountain lion populations. These big cats have struggled with increasingly fragmented habitat, deadly vehicle collisions, and widespread rat poison contamination, all of which are pushing some populations toward the brink.
In 2020, the commission granted temporary protections while the Department of Fish and Wildlife conducted a full status review. That review, released this week, officially calls for the permanent protection of six key mountain lion groups in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Central Coast, Santa Monica Mountains, San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains, Santa Ana Mountains, and Eastern Peninsular ranges.
“These mountain lions live in such fractured habitats here because of humans. They are a keystone species and these protections are vital to their survival,” Mark Girardeau, a Southern California based wildlife photographer, who has spent 11 years tracking mountain lions on trail cams, told WAN. “Sadly, they are not living out their natural life cycles, they’re getting hit by vehicles, poisoned by rodenticides, and have genetic breeding problems.”
The California Fish and Game Commission is expected to make its final decision during a two-day meeting on February 11 and 12. For the state’s remaining mountain lions, many of whom continue to face deadly threats each year, these protections could be the lifeline they desperately need.
World Animal News will continue to follow developments and advocate for California’s mountain lions until they receive the full protections they deserve.
