Malibu Woman Claims Mountain Lion Terrorizing Her Ranch, Killing Animals
MALIBU (KCBS) -- A rancher who got a state permit to shoot a rare mountain lion preying on her alpacas, prompting outrage among animal lovers, said Thursday she never intended to have the cougar killed and now hopes it's relocated instead.
The lion is suspected of killing dozens of animals over the last several months.
The controversy in the Malibu hills has grown so heated that hundreds of people turned out this week for a Department of Fish & Wildlife workshop on protecting livestock from mountain lions. Some loudly advocated for one male lion in particular.
An alpaca rancher has a permit to kill P-45 but is asking state wildlife officials to let her tranquilize and move the animal instead. Her lawyer, Reid Breitman, says she has a wildlife sanctuary ready to take him.
In general, the Department of Fish and Wildlife does not relocate mountain lions that have killed domestic animals and livestock.
