Since 1990, more than 1,200 lions have been hunted and killed
under the provisions of Proposition 117.
Since 1990, more than 1,200 lions have been hunted and killed under the provisions of Proposition 117.
We have systematically and intensively removed from the gene pool lions that have conflicted with humans by threatening people, pets or livestock.
What Proposition 117 made illegal was the recreational trophy hunting of mountain lions. That activity randomly removes lions whether or not they have posed a threat.
If we want to truly eliminate risk from lions, we would need to go back to the 1960s when a bounty on mountain lions was in place to eliminate lions.
As the mountain lion population has slowly recovered from that onslaught, the human population has nearly doubled. Daily, we destroy 150 acres of wildlife habitat. We build roads through their territories. We recreate in their hunting grounds. And when lions conflict with humans, we hunt them down and kill them.
Without doubt, we are upholding our role as predator of the mountain lion. Perhaps we could do a little better on our role as stewards. Surely, with our superior intellect, we can change our behaviors to share the land with America’s lion.
Lynn Sadler,
Mountain Lion Foundation
