Yesterday, the California Fish and Game Commission granted permanent protections to six populations of mountain lions in California under the state’s Endangered Species Act. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, this decision not only protects these apex predators across a large portion of California but also recognizes their “imperiled” status.
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“This is a major milestone for a California icon,” said Tiffany Yap with the Center for Biological Diversity. “Mountain lions . . . are struggling in the diminished and fractured wild places where they live. This state isn’t willing to stand back and watch our precious wildlife vanish forever. I’m celebrating this vote as a new chapter for pumas.”
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The Center for Biological Diversity says it’s the first time California has recognized mountain lions as a threatened species under the state’s Endangered Species Act. “These protections present a legal mandate for all state agencies to protect the six mountain lion populations,” the non-profit wrote in a press release.
Read more about the new decision to protect mountain lions in California here.
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