Push to protect SoCal mountain lions would grant them threatened species status

Mountain lions in Southern California could soon be considered a threatened species, with officials saying that they face threats posed by freeway, rat poison and wildfires.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is recommending that the state grant threatened special status to roughly 1,400 mountain lions roaming the Southland and the central coast of the state, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times. The state is home to roughly 4,170 mountain lions.

The agency submitted the recommendation during a California Fish and Game Commission meeting on Wednesday.

Another challenge that mountain lions face in Southern California is inbreeding due to restrictions on the land they can roam, which the Times reported has led to deformities among certain populations.

A wildlife crossing being built over the 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills aims to address many of those challenges for the species.

Beloved P-22, a celebrity mountain lion who lived in Griffith Park for a decade, represented the obstacles his kind faced. He was captured and euthanized in late 2022 due to severe injuries and chronic health problems.

Officials hope that several clans of cougars will be listed under the California Endangered Species Act. State wildlife commissioners could vote on the recommendation as early as February.

However, granting mountain lions threatened species status poses a conundrum when it comes to other endangered animals.

While cougars cannot be hunted for sport under a special act that was set in 1990, they have been euthanized for killing endangered bighorn sheep. Classifying both species as endangered could complicate efforts to protect them.

Meanwhile, other opponents say the effort to list mountain lions as endangered could restrict residential and commercial projects.