Animal Rights Activists To Protest Mountain Lion Killing In Santa Monica
SANTA MONICA (CBS) — Animal rights activists will gather at Santa Monica City Hall Wednesday to protest last week's killing of a mountain lion that wandered into a courtyard near the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica.
The 3-year-old mountain lion was spotted by a janitor about 6 a.m. last Tuesday near a building on Second Street, south of Wilshire Boulevard.
Santa Monica police officers and state Department of Fish and Game wardens responded and made several attempts to subdue the animal, but officers eventually shot the puma when it tried to dart out of the courtyard.
"We deployed less-lethal pepper ball, we deployed fire hoses and the animal continued to charge in (an) attempt to flee out of the courtyard," Santa Monica police Lt. Robert Almada said. "Regrettably, the animal was euthanized in order to protect public safety."
Police insisted they had no choice, saying the bolting animal would have run into a heavily populated area.
Members of In Defense of Animals will be joined by wildlife experts at a news conference at Santa Monica City Hall to decry the killing of the animal, insisting better tactics should have been employed.
"A solid strategy, including all equipment necessary to handle similar situations, must be put in place before another tragedy occurs," IDA Director Jack Carone.
IDA officials said the use of pepper bullets and fire hoses served only to agitate and frighten the lion, prompting the animal to bolt.
Madeline Bernstein, president of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles, said her organization was "dismayed" by the killing of the mountain lion. Bernstein wants an investigation "into the procedures and training protocols required for safely interacting (with) and subduing wildlife."
"Basically, they agitated and frightened a cornered cat before they killed her," Bernstein said. "Hosing a mountain lion down and then shooting (it) with pepper balls only served to make her more frenzied. Deadly force should be used only as a last resort. The citizens and wildlife of California deserve better."
It is unclear exactly how the animal, which weighed about 75 pounds, wound up in the courtyard, far from its home in the Santa Monica mountains.
Santa Monica police Lt. Calisse Lindsey said it was the first time she could remember such an incident in her 24 years in the department.
State wildlife officials said a necropsy would be done on the animal.
»RELATED STORY: Officials Kill Young Mountain Lion Spotted In Santa Monica
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