Rancher gets permit to shoot mountain lion that killed 12 farm animals for fun
- 7 years ago
MALIBU, CALIFORNIA — A California rancher has been granted a permit to shoot a mountain lion believed to be the predator that killed dozens of farm animals last weekend in the mountains above Malibu.
However, following an outcry that was raised after news of the permit was published, rancher Victoria Vaughn-Perling says she now wants to help capture and relocate P-45, not kill him.
The mountain lion in question is a male named “P-45” by staff at the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. He is the largest mountain lion to be tracked in the area since 2002.
The first attack left 10 alpacas dead at a ranch near Mulholland Highway at Decker Canyon Road on Saturday. The second incident happened on Sunday night at a nearby petting zoo, where an alpaca and a goat were killed.
The California Department of Fish & Wildlife granted Vaughn-Perling a 10-day permit to shoot and kill P-45. Under California law, the permit expires after that.
A neighbor told NBC Los Angeles he suspects that the cougar is killing the animals for sport instead of hunting for food. Many ranchers have shipped their livestock out of the area to avoid further attacks by P-45.
Officials at the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area said eliminating P-45 does not solve the problem. They urged local residents to lion-proof their enclosures to prevent future attacks, 89.3 KPCC reported.
However, following an outcry that was raised after news of the permit was published, rancher Victoria Vaughn-Perling says she now wants to help capture and relocate P-45, not kill him.
The mountain lion in question is a male named “P-45” by staff at the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. He is the largest mountain lion to be tracked in the area since 2002.
The first attack left 10 alpacas dead at a ranch near Mulholland Highway at Decker Canyon Road on Saturday. The second incident happened on Sunday night at a nearby petting zoo, where an alpaca and a goat were killed.
The California Department of Fish & Wildlife granted Vaughn-Perling a 10-day permit to shoot and kill P-45. Under California law, the permit expires after that.
A neighbor told NBC Los Angeles he suspects that the cougar is killing the animals for sport instead of hunting for food. Many ranchers have shipped their livestock out of the area to avoid further attacks by P-45.
Officials at the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area said eliminating P-45 does not solve the problem. They urged local residents to lion-proof their enclosures to prevent future attacks, 89.3 KPCC reported.