Following yesterday’s disappointing announcement that Congress has legalized the murdering of bears and wolves in Alaska, WAN is pleased to share some positive news regarding legislation designed to protect wildlife, rather than promote the cruel and unnecessary killing of them.
Mountain lions and other native wildlife inhabiting public land in New Mexico may breathe a little easier now that three new bills have been introduced into the state legislature. While none will stop hunting completely, if passed into law, they at the very least, minimize the torture they now endure by the hands of trophy and sport hunters who currently employ such inhumane practices as and poisoning.
The Mountain Lion Foundation has summarized the bills as follows:
SB 286 would ban the use of lethal body-gripping traps and poisons on public lands. Known as the New Mexico Wildlife Protection and Public Safety Act, SB 286 would protect mountain lions, coyotes, bears, bobcats, non-target wildlife, pets and humans from life-threatening body-gripping traps and poisons while living and recreating on New Mexico’s public lands.
SB 266 would clarify the mission and purpose of the State Game Commission and provide valuable contributions to the way wildlife is managed in New Mexico. This bill would give the Commission the authority to protect all species of wildlife, including protected game species, fur-bearers and non-game species.
SB 268 would prohibit coyote killing contests, making it illegal to organize, sponsor, hold or participate in these indiscriminate wildlife killing events. This bill would end wasteful and inhumane mass killing of coyotes and other wildlife for fun, cash prizes, guns and hunting ‘toys’ in the state of New Mexico.
New Mexico first initiated a lion management plan that included paying a bounty for each one killed and, in 1971, the state’s Department of Game and Fish allowed for the sport hunting of them. This tragically, and the subsequent authorization of trapping, has resulted in thousands of lions losing their lives to recreational and trophy hunters.
It is now estimated that approximately 2500 mountain lions currently inhabit New Mexico.
Source: The Mountain Lion Foundation
