Our Spring Newsletter is here!
Catch up on the latest mountain lion news by checking out our spring newsletter. In this issue, we share what brings us hope, discuss coexistence, and so much more.
Tag: Mountain Lion Foundation
Mountain Lion Foundation Winter Newsletter
Our winter newsletter is here!
Catch up on the latest mountain lion news by checking out our winter newsletter. In this issue, we share our resolutions for the upcoming year, thank you for your support, and so much more.
Beloved Beasts: a Conversation with Author Michelle Nijhuis
Beloved Beasts: a Conversation with Author Michelle Nijhuis
In the late nineteenth century, humans came at long last to a devastating realization: their rapidly industrializing and globalizing societies were driving scores of animal species to extinction. In Beloved Beasts, acclaimed science journalist Michelle Nijhuis traces the history of the movement to protect and conserve other forms of life. From early battles to save charismatic species such as the American bison and bald eagle to today’s global effort to defend life on a larger scale, Nijhuis’s “spirited and engaging” account documents “the changes of heart that changed history” (Dan Cryer, Boston Globe).
As the destruction of other species continues and the effects of climate change wreak havoc on our world, Beloved Beasts charts the ways conservation is becoming a movement for the protection of all species, including our own.
About Michelle Nijhuis:
Michelle Nijhuis is the author of the new book Beloved Beasts: Fighting for Life in an Age of Extinction. She is a project editor for The Atlantic and a longtime contributing editor for High Country News, and her reporting has appeared in publications including National Geographic and the New York Times Magazine. After 15 years off the electrical grid in rural Colorado, she and her family now live in southwestern Washington state.
Today We Celebrate 35 Years!
The Mountain Lion Celebrates its 35th year protecting and preserving America’s Lion!
Today marks the date of our inception and the last 35 years as the only organization solely dedicated to Saving America’s lion.
Today we are celebrating not only us, but we also celebrate 35 years of your dedication and support! We hope you enjoy this short movie that highlights the many challenges we have faced together and the victories you helped us win on behalf of the lion!
Here’s to the next 35 years together!
P.S. LOOK FOR MORE CELEBRATIONS TO COME!
Mountain Lion Foundation demands court-ordered halt to lawless cougar-killing sheriff in Klickitat County
Sheriff who previously flouted mask rules and gun laws is now violating state wildlife laws
August 13, 2021, Kennewick, WA — The Klickitat County Sheriff’s rampage against wildlife violates state law and must immediately be stopped by courts, according to new filings in a Washington State court. The filing is the latest in the Mountain Lion Foundation’s lawsuit against Sheriff Bob Songer, calls for an immediate order halting the illegal hunts and his illegal deputization of a posse to assist in the culling. Just this year, Songer has pursued several cougars, illegally using packs of hounds to chase mountain lions that posed no threat to public safety.
“Sheriff Songer’s conduct endangers the people of Klickitat County, devastates wildlife, and contradicts everything science and experience teaches us about how to protect livestock and communities,” explains Debra Chase, CEO of the Mountain Lion Foundation. “Sheriffs are supposed to follow the law, not undercut the will of Washington voters and legislators, and the laws established to protect wildlife from being cruelly and capriciously chased by dogs. It’s a shame he wouldn’t abide by the law, or meet us and other concerned citizens to find a better solution, and especially bad that we need the courts to compel him to stop breaking the laws he swore to uphold.”
The Mountain Lion Foundation’s petition to the Benton County Superior Court asks for a Peremptory Writ of Prohibition, an order blocking further implementation of Songer’s so-called Dangerous Wildlife Policy and Procedures. In 1996, 63% of Washington voters approved Initiative 655, which prohibits the use of hound packs to hunt cougars, with very limited exceptions that do not apply to Sheriff Songer.
Chase explains: “Sheriff Songer’s policy allows him and people he claims to have deputized — without any background checks or training — to chase cougars simply seen walking through agricultural areas, or feeding on deer they caught in the wild. Rather than killing lions just for being themselves, Songer should work with state wildlife agencies, his own citizens, and groups like ours to develop safe paths to coexistence in Klickitat County.”
In a 2010 survey by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washingtonians statewide overwhelmingly agreed “it is the responsibility of people to help prevent cougar conflicts when living in or near cougar habitat.” Only 10% agreed with the statement “Cougars spotted in or near towns should be killed.” In the last 100 years, cougars in Washington have only killed two people (in 1924 and 2018). There has never been a fatal attack in Klickitat County.
A hearing on the legal case is scheduled for August 27. Filings can be found online at http://www.facebook.com/groups/springvsonger
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Founded in 1986, the Mountain Lion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with a mission to ensure that America’s lion survives and flourishes in the wild. The Foundation’s website is http://mountainlion.org.
Adam P. Karp, JD, MS is a regional animal law litigator residing in Bellingham, Washington with licenses in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. He has practiced animal law for 23 years. His website is http://animal-lawyer.com.
Contact: Josh Rosenau, Conservation Advocate, Mountain Lion Foundation
jrosenau@mountainlion.org
916-442-2666 ext. 107
Adam Karp, Esq.
adam@animal-lawyer.com
(888) 430-0001
Mountain Lion Foundation Summer Newsletter
Our summer newsletter is here!
Catch up on the latest mountain lion news by checking out our summer newsletter. In this issue, we cover the remarkability of America’s lion, Mourning Melanie the Mountain Lion, updates on our work across the nation, and so much more.
Click here to read our newsletter now!
Patrick Lendrum, PhD Talks Coexistence, Adventure and Cougars
In this webinar, Patrick Lendrum, Senior Science Specialist for World Wildlife Fund, will be sharing a glimpse into the secret lives of mountain lions and what 10+ years of research from Panthera’s Puma Program uncovered in and around Grand Teton National Park. The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is home to a complete suite of large carnivores including cougars, black bears, grizzly bears, and wolves, all of which compete for food and space making this a unique landscape. There is also a robust prey population of elk, deer, bighorn sheep, and a few others that might surprise you. And, as in most places, wildlife must navigate the influence humans have on the landscape from development and multiple land uses including grazing and hunting. In this presentation, Patrick will provide an overview of cougar habitat use, prey selection, social behavior, population dynamics and what influence wolves and humans have on the mountain lions of the region.
In case you missed it, watch it now!
Patrick Lendrum
Patrick Lendrum is the Senior Science Specialist for World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) Northern Great Plains (NGP) Program. He leads the development of science priorities for the program, implementing projects to answer key scientific questions that address the loss of native grasslands and the impacts that these losses may have on the wildlife and human communities that depend on them. Patrick also oversees the measurement of progress toward the NGP Program’s conservation goals and partnerships with a variety of stakeholders in order to develop shared conservation solutions.
Prior to joining WWF Patrick earned his M.S. and Ph.D. examining the effects of human-caused land use change on wildlife communities and ways to minimize disturbance while promoting sustainable development. He has worked across the western US in a variety of habitats spanning costal rainforests to prairie grasslands, with species ranging from insects to grizzly bears. Patrick has partnered with State, Federal, Private, and NGO entities to build large-scale collaborations in diverse working landscapes. The research Patrick has been involved with has been featured in National Geographic Magazine, BBC documentaries, and published in numerous peer-reviewed scientific articles. He is thrilled to now be conducting applied science that contributes towards WWF’s mission of securing a future that meets the needs of humans and nature.
Young, Orphaned Mountain Lion Released Following Rehabilitation
We’re grateful to California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) for their efforts to save mountain lions in the state. A young mountain lion left orphaned after its mother was killed in traffic, has been released into the wild after months of care provided by CDFW and the San Diego Humane Society (Ramona Wildlife Center). The lion and her sister were roughly six months old when they were first seen in February at the edges of Tijeras Creek Golf Course in Orange County. After confirming the siblings had been orphaned, CDFW with assistance from Serrano Animal and Bird Hospital veterinarians and the UC Davis Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center California Mountain Lion Project captured the pair for possible rehabilitation.
CDFW is carefully piloting the release and rehabilitation of mountain lions in California on a case-by-case basis. This is the second mountain lion rehabilitated and released in the state of California.
Read the press release:
June 23, 2021
Young, Orphaned Mountain Lion Released Following Rehabilitation
A young mountain lion left orphaned after its mother was killed in traffic, has been released into the wild after months of care provided by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the San Diego Humane Society (Ramona Wildlife Center).
The lion and her sister were roughly six months old when they were first seen in February at the edges of Tijeras Creek Golf Course in Orange County. After confirming the siblings had been orphaned, CDFW with assistance from Serrano Animal and Bird Hospital veterinarians and the UC Davis Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center California Mountain Lion Project captured the pair for possible rehabilitation.
The first lion was sent to San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center and placed into a large, isolated enclosure with only minimal human contact. Using remote cameras, staff monitored the lion’s growth for both size and strength for four months prior to release. The second mountain lion had a left forearm fracture and first needed surgical repair by the Serrano Animal and Bird Hospital in Lake Forest (Orange County) veterinary team. She is still in care at the Ramona Wildlife Center and recovering.
CDFW is carefully piloting the release and rehabilitation of mountain lions in California on a case-by-case basis. This is the second mountain lion rehabilitated and released in the state of California. The first mountain lion rehabilitated by CDFW was an adult female when the San Gabriel mountains burned in the Bobcat Fire. Satellite tracking collar data and remote camera photographs indicate that cat has survived and is doing well since its return to the wild in October 2020.
CDFW senior wildlife veterinarian Dr. Deana Clifford is hoping for similar results with the young lion released this week.
“Although this cat is only 10 months old, she’s consistently behaving like a wild mountain lion,” Dr. Clifford noted. “As for any young mountain lion, her chances of survival in the wild are lower than an adult, but if she does survive and reproduce she will make an important contribution to the mountain lion population in this region of Southern California”
“We are very excited to have been a part of this pilot effort for mountain lion rehab in California,” said Christine Barton, director of operations and wildlife rehabilitation at San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center. “We hope these few months with us have provided her the extra time needed to fill the void left from losing her mother.”
CDFW Regional Wildlife Program Supervisor Christine Thompson said it was through the dedication and cooperation of many organizations (Ramona Wildlife Center, Serrano Hospital, UC Davis) that this release was made possible.
“These efforts of rehabbing and providing medical care are only possible through the valuable partnerships we enjoy with these groups,” said Thompson. “Californians are fortunate to have so many passionate people working for the benefit of the state’s wildlife.”
Video of Monday’s lion release into the Santa Ana Mountains is available for download at this link: https://filelib.wildlife.ca.gov/Public/OCEO/orphaned%20mtn%20lion%20release/
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Media Contact:
Tim Daly, CDFW Communications, (916) 201-2058
Arizona Game and Fish Commission votes to ban the use of trail cameras for aiding the take of wildlife
For immediate release
Date: June 11, 2021
Contact:
Debra Chase, CEO, Mountain Lion Foundation
DChase@mountainlion.org
916-442-2666 ext. 103
Arizona Game and Fish Commission votes to ban the use of trail cameras for aiding the take of wildlife.
Thanks to thousands of public comments and the 5-0 vote of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission, the use of trail cameras for aiding the take of wildlife (i.e. hunting) is prohibited in Arizona effective January 1, 2022.
Payson, AZ – On Friday, June 11, 2021, the Arizona Game and Fish Commission voted 5-0 to ban the use of trail cameras for aiding the take of wildlife after at least three years of debate, representing a win for Arizona’s mountain lions and 800-plus native wildlife species.
In 2018, Arizona voted to ban live action trail cameras, opening up a larger public debate about whether other types of trail cameras should be allowed. In December 2020, the Commission proposed a full ban on all trail cameras used for aiding the take of wildlife. In response to public comments, the Commission proposed an amended rule that would only prohibit trail cameras from July 1 to January 31, except within ¼ mile of a developed water source. On Friday, however, the Commission decided to approve the original, year-round ban instead of the amended seasonal ban.
“What this issue comes down to for me is the issue of fair chase,” said Commissioner Clay Hernandez from Tucson. “It comes down to a question of passive surveillance or active surveillance. If we are out scouting, glassing, hiking or shed hunting, we are out in the habitat and we are providing scent, movement, patterns and sound, all of which the animals we are seeking or scouting can make use of with their resources and instincts. If we are not out there and it is just a camera, we are silent. It is that that I don’t believe constitutes fair chase.”
In recent years, trail cameras have become a nuisance in Arizona and other states as more hunters use these devices to aid their pursuit of wildlife. Many recreationists report concerns about their personal privacy, while ranchers report disturbances to their cattle operations when cameras are placed near water sources. Additionally, the natural movement of wildlife species that rely on scarce water sources is interrupted when trail cameras are placed in the field and frequently checked.
“In all states where mountain lion hunting is allowed, hunters use many technologies and practices that give them an unfair advantage, such as hounds, electronic calls and trail cameras,” said Logan Christian, Region II Conservation Advocate for Mountain Lion Foundation. “This decision to ban trail camera use for aiding the take of wildlife is an important step towards improving fair chase hunting practices.”
The ban will go into effect on January 1, 2022. Trail cameras used for general wildlife photography, research, cattle management or any reason other than hunting will remain legal.
Founded in 1986, the Mountain Lion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with a mission to ensure that America’s lion survives and flourishes in the wild.
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission approves 2022 hunt
For immediate release
Date : June 11, 2021
Contact:
Debra Chase, CEO, Mountain Lion Foundation
DChase@mountainlion.org
916-442-2666 ext. 103
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission approves 2022 hunt
Chadron, NE – On June 11, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission voted unanimously to approve a 2022 mountain lion hunt in the state’s Pine Ridge region. Nebraska’s mountain lion population in the region is far too small to sustain a hunt and permitting a hunt at all is overly aggressive, unsustainable, and jeopardizing their long-term viability.
As of 2019, the mountain lion population in the Pine Ridge was estimated at 34 individuals, including kittens. This number does not include the 11 lions killed in the 2020 and 2021 seasons. When you factor in lions removed by hunters, the population size dwindles to 23. If 2/3 of the population is of adult age, then the population proposed to be hunted is closer to 15 individuals. This estimate does not include lions that may have been killed by other sources of human-caused mortality.
“Allowing trophy hunters to target such a small population is poor management and is not supported by science,” stated Denise Peterson, Conservation Advocate for the Mountain Lion Foundation. She continued, “Mountain lions have only recently reclaimed this small portion of their former range. Permitting this hunt threatens their long-term survival in the state and is not supported by the majority of Nebraskans.”
We asked the Commission to stop the hunt to preserve the few mountain lions that remain in Nebraska. Despite our request, feedback from the public, and science that shows that hunting such a small population threatens its long-term viability, the hunt will move forward. However, our fight is not over. We will continue to our efforts in Nebraska until mountain lions are protected from poor management decisions such as this.
If you want to support our efforts or get involved in Nebraska, visit MountainLion.org.
Founded in 1986, the Mountain Lion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with a mission to ensure that America’s lion survives and flourishes in the wild.