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Santa Monica Police Department / Reuters
A mountain lion is seen as it is cornered in Santa Monica, Calif., on Tuesday.
Santa Monica police are conducting an internal investigation into the shooting death of a mountain lion that appeared in an office building courtyard in the city’s downtown, police Sgt. Richard Lewis told msnbc.com.
The cat, a 3-year-old male weighing about 90 pounds, had apparently wandered into the city overnight from the Santa Monica Mountains and jumped over an eight-foot wall into the building courtyard, Lewis said. At 5:45 a.m. on Tuesday morning, a maintenance worker called police, who then called in the fire department, California Fish and Game Department and a wildlife biologist from the National Parks Service.
This was an unfamiliar situation, Lewis said -- the first time in the memories of veteran Santa Monica police officers that a mountain lion had ventured into the city.
The officials decided a member of Fish and Game would shoot the mountain lion with a heavy dosage tranquilizer dart, hoping he would slump into a corner and officials could then transport him back to the mountains.
“That would cause one of two reactions,” Lewis said. “The animal could become aggressive, or it could become docile and lay down. It chose to do what mountain lions do and it tried to escape.”
The officers acted quickly and shot pepper balls in hopes that the animal would slink back into the corner of the courtyard. They sprayed mist at the glass doors framing the courtyard so the cat wouldn’t try to go through them.
But it did anyway, lunging at the two-inch glass doors, shattering them.
“At that point, the animal circled around, realized where it had jumped in from and started to jump over,” Lewis said. “That’s when the order was given to use lethal force.”
Allowing the cat to jump back over the wall, near the popular Promenade by the beach, was not an option, Lewis said. The cat, injured, angry and able to run 40 to 50 miles per hour, would have encountered humans within seconds. Santa Monica, which houses about 90,000 residents, has a daytime population between 200,000 and 400,000.
Some questioned why a second dart wasn’t used, Lewis said, but that wasn’t possible either. A second dart would have killed the cat, he said, and anyway, it would have taken 15 minutes to take effect. The cat would have jumped over the wall by then.
The incident, from call to the cat’s death, lasted three hours. The internal investigation will focus on the shooting, the performance of the officers and whether they could have used different training, Lewis said.
The Fish and Game Department took its carcass and will perform a necropsy, conducting a chemical and DNA analysis to determine what it had eaten.
They will then cremate the mountain lion and a game warden or biologist will spread the ashes in a peaceful spot in the mountains.
"I call it the circle of life," Andrew Hughan of the Fish and Game Department told msnbc.com.
The mountain lion population is under severe stress due to habitat loss and poaching, scientists say.
For a decade, the National Park Service has been tracking mountain lions in Southern California, including the 275 square miles of the Santa Monica range, which is hemmed in by highways, urban areas, the ocean and agricultural land.
That island of habitat is large enough to support 10 to 15 mountain lions, according to Jeff Sikich, a biologist with the project. Young adult males are forced to set out to establish their own territory or reckon with a dominant male in the area, he said.
"Most young adult males we have followed in the Santa Monica mountains have ended up getting killed on a freeway or by an adult male in that territory," Sikich said.
Wanted: Poacher who cut off cougar's paws
The park service is conducting genetic tests to determine whether the mountain lion killed on Tuesday is a part of the tiny Santa Monica population, which Sikich says is likely.
"This is regrettable," said Tim Dunbar, executive director of the nonprofit conservation group Mountain Lion Foundation. "By having this poor lion die now … that will put even more pressure on the survivability of the species down there."
Dunbar said the Sacramento-based foundation had dispatched staff to Santa Monica to investigate the animal’s death.
"Though we tried to get information from the local police they were not forthcoming," Dunbar said. "We are presently requesting a copy of (the California Fish and Game Department's) incident report."
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Leave a Comment:
How much is this circle of life costing taxpayers? Who cares what it ate? Damn fool people.
Ya think a dozen hamburgers maybe could have occupied it after hit with tranquilizer dart? Maybe a feather on a line dangling in front of it. Or maybe nice big bag of catnip?...Eh?
Back in my high school days I worked for the maintenance department at one of our local shopping malls. I never saw any mountain lions, but, boy them cougars were always on the prowl. Some of the best days of my life.
umm..... mountain lions = cougars.......and come places even call them panthers (even though we want to think of them only as the black cat from the Jungle Book).
Ok... I am slow... got it!! hehe (and GROSS!)
I call it the "circle of idiocy". Where do these morons come from?
they come from obamma
"... will spread the ashes in a peaceful spot..."
Aw jeez Edith get me a beeer heere.
its too bad for the lion, as always man kills what he can, when he can. Maybe u should have been more prepared. Wild animals are put to sleep all the time, for tagging and research, so what was the problem. Poor training on the part of the wild life experts so kill it.
We need a bucket full of jimi's to run things right I tell you.
Poor kitty. Let it munch a few of those so-called "humans" down there. LALA land is nothing but savages
Population control, baby.
im with u rock who needs those nuts any way. all they are going to do is vote for obamma
PETA said it should be shot because it was wearing fur in Santa Monica.
So what if the "so-called humans" that would be "munched" ,as you put it, were animal lovers or children? Suppose if instead a loved one or pet was "munched". What if YOU were "munched", afterall if you want such population control, why not take one for the team eh?
Oh please, it was 6am in the morning, what child would it have eaten (munched)?? With their habitat and food decreasing what else was he suppose to do??
I know, when they opened that new mall boutique and shut down the Big Cats Diner that poor cat had no where to go. Poor thing.
Mouse you must have missed the part that by the time they got all the proper authorities on scene and the dart was used it was 3hrs later. 9am in downtown with schools in the area. Lots of kids and others around. Dont get me wrong I hate he had to be shot but human life will and should always take precedence no matter your feelings of the human race in general.
I'm sure it would have been more than happy munching on a few "Tacos". They're cheap and plentiful in the Greater Los Angeles Basin.
Too bad the cat couldn't have found a couple of Tea Baggers to chomp on before he was murdered...
why not use a net also on it,
jimijames, wild animals are not put to sleep for tagging or research, they tranquilize them and study them then they are let go. if they are put to sleep as you say then what would be the point of tagging them, thanks for the laugh though LOL !!!! HA HA HA HA !!!!
denver bill, your comment made no sense, please don't post anymore cuz your comment was really stupid !!
ravens mom, they did not give the tranquilizer enough time to kick in, they were just ready to kill the poor cat, yeah they said three hours passed , wouldn't that have been more than enough time for the tranquilizer to kick in. those idiots had no idea what to do except kill. as another blogger stated earlier they could have thrown a net over the cat, but by looking at the picture the cat looked pretty calm and looked like he was relaxing until those idiots decided to throw stuff at the cat including spraying him with water, cats do not like water therefore they just scared the cat even more and that is why he freaked out. i hope they never send dumb asses like that again to handle any emergency.
Okay, count backwards from one hundred. "100", "99", "98", "97", "97", "92" . . . ."81" . . . . . bingo he's out. Now, how long did that take, and I'm two hundred pounds. COME ON PEOPLE!!! After the debacle in Ohio last winter and now this, why can't the Fish & Game department figure out how much and what kind of tranquilizer will put a 90lb cat to sleep in a few moments. And then they were worried that they might kill the cat with a second dose and they end up killing it anyway, gggeeeeeeeeeeezzz!
I found this cat's twitter page at #No_Limit_Puma
Quick, someone call Angela Corey or Gloria Allred. One of these cops needs to be put in jail.
The lion was merely taking a nap after just buying a bag of skittles and some Tea.
I can't believe this cat had to be shot. I swear it sounds like a bunch of heavily armed cops with small testicles needed to fire off some rounds at something,anything. Here in Florida, alligators and crocodiles are routinely captured safely in homes and business areas and returned to the swamp. Yes these are two different animals but I really think that if the vote was to save the cat, it could have been done.
First off, Thomas, you might refrain from the rather narrow-minded decision of immediately assuming that the officers on the scene had small testicles. Secondly, as you noted amphibious reptiles are different from wild felids. Even a few minutes on Animal Planet will explain the difference. One can sustain 30mph sprints for 100+ meters, the other is considerably slower (though it can sprint) and can make it a whopping 20 meters if pressed. And finally, I would like to point out that your decision "if the vote was to save the cat, it could have been done" is ridiculous, as they did, in fact, try to save the cat. Hence the section of the article prior to the authorization of lethal force
Eithe ryou got your numbers wrong or the story has ther numbers wrong because you say 30 mph and they say 40-50 mph so who is right? And the story alll so say it took three hour from start to finish so that tell me the fish and game are stupid on the dose or they just missed and when it came threw the glass i bet there was not adry pair of pants in the room and thats why they killed it no witnesses.
Yeah sure, they used pepper bullets and hosed the cat. How is the tranq suppose to take effect if the cat is agitated? Would you be able to calm down if you are being shot at and hosed down??
all you taking up for the cat if you love them that much put you in a cage with it when it is hungry, see how long you keep your stupid ideas
MrsMouse please retake beginning reading over. If you read correctly ....They sprayed sheets of water....not at the cat but at the glass...I am sure what they were thinnking is that cats do no tlike water and this would contain it...They did not hose down the cat they..oh what's the use you probably can't read this either.
Well I agree.Only the vote was "Lets shoot our M-16's a bit". there are over 300 million AH's in this countyr and a few thousand Mtn. lions. I vote for the lions to live and let some folks get munched. Or maybe we could just stand back and let the Lion calm down again. Then let the dart do it's job.
Just blow some herbal smoke in it's face.It'll calm right down. Better have lots of pizza and beer handy tho. Those munchies are a bitch.
mcranger, seriously ? they said it was a last resort , don't make me laugh, law enforcement has a reputation for being trigger happy when it comes to killing animals. second, alligators and crocodiles are just as deadly, if you don't believe me then put your hand in their mouth and see what happens. the cat was not going to jump because supposedly he had already been shot with a tranquilizer therefore he would not have been able to sprint ,especially not that high. let me give you an example, if you are drinking beer and you are racing on foot (this is just an example ) after so many beers you cant run that fast anymore cuz the alcohol is slowing you down. . see my point ?
No, were putting you in the cage along with all your buddies, and yes those cops have small testicles.
Only in California would this be an issue.
The article clearly states the the animal was contained. After being darted, it crashed through the windows.
Well then it wasn't contained, was it?
Follow the bouncing ball, Joel. "Garcher" said it should have been contained before darting. I pointed out that the article said it was. After being darted, it crashed through the windows. Get it now?
It sounds like they did all the knew how to do to spare the cats life. It is a shame they can't shoot some humans who wonder over the wall into the Mall!
How and why would you wonder over a wall. It's just a wall.
Garcher What kind of a net would you suggest? I'm pretty sure that cat could have shredded any kind of net that they would have been able to get a hold of. I dare you to try and catch one with a net. They are beautiful animals and I hate to see one killed in an area with such a small population of them, but they did the right thing. Bottom line is human life is more important than the cat's life and if you disagree you be the one that has to tell the family of the person that the lion killed why it was more important to save the lions life.
realidad ( if that were only true ) there are special nets for different situations, yeah i really doubt that a cat can tear a net with it's claws they would be caught in between the rest of the net because it is not solid, unless it was a sheet . i don't believe that you care about any animal . human life is not more important than animal life especially if you consider murderers , rapist , child molesters, child killers , kidnappers , etc.
Wow, Sandra, it appears that you have nothing but inflammatory allegations and no support for your data. Allow me to explain myself, before you go ridiculing me and everyone else's post with which you disagree. I am currently a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. My experience with animals (albeit small, as I'm only a veterinarian) is that when animals are stressed, such as what they perceive as danger), is that the sympathetic nervous system (fight and flight) can override the parasympathetic system (rest and digest), thus what should make a kitty sleepy doesn't.
Next, another reason that the "tranquilizers" don't work is due to dosing. See, we don't know how healthy the cat was. This is why your vet does blood work before placing your pet underanesthesia. Some drugs at normal doses will kill or chronically intoxicate compromised animals (sorry, don't have the time to get into this one further), so using a large dose because you're trying to save an animal can, indeed, kill the cat.
Finally, you might have missed this memo, but amphibious reptiles require WATER, so you often find them around WATER. Therefore, they are not so commonly found in downtown areas other than in pool/springs/other things that contain WATER. If you want to avoid said reptiles, avoid WATER WITH ALLIGATORS. Less dangerous? Yes. Alligators are found everywhere in the southeastern United States and while the puma/cougar/mountain lion is found in many areas of the United States, it is a reclusive and solitary creature. Do a little research for me and find out how many interactions occur between humans and each of the said creatures, and then let me know what percent of those are deadly attacks. Thanks. You're swell.
Oh Lena, they DO shoot humans. Just ask Aaron Campbell's family.
At Thomas-305684. That is part of the article. It is not routine in Santa Monica
"This was an unfamiliar situation, Lewis said -- the first time in the memories of veteran Santa Monica police officers that a mountain lion had ventured into the city."
They obviously did not have regular or frequent experience.
Sometimes people and/or organizations screw up.
This was a bunch of "shoot happy" cops being advised apparently by someone from Fish and Game. Read about Dan Richards and then look at that picture of the cat....he was cornered...no need to shoot him. I hope someone gets fired over this....what a waste too bad no matter what happens the lion is dead and we can't get him back. Dan Richards needs to go and the whole department needs reeducation on saving wildlife.
I live in a neighborhood with "Mountain Lions Have Been Seen in this Area" warning signs. Anyone who thinks that a cornered lion is not dangerous is misinformed. A mountain lion can jump a 10 foot fence. A lion can attack a person 25 feet away in less than one second. And anyone who would fire a civil servant over a judgment call with which they disagree, is misguided. I suspect that Ms. Brooks is not familiar with Santa Monica. This situation was equivalent to a lion loose in Beverly Hills, near a shopping center. The danger to humans far outweighs the loss of a cat.
He wasn't loose at the time they shot him....he was cornered....they just needed to calm down and the tranquilizer would have worked. I am very familiar with Santa Monica ..it's where all the a--holes live wth Arnold and Maria.
And if the Cougar had escaped and mauled someone you would have been the first to ask why, wouldn't you? But of course in California people are taught that even if humans are killed the animal is all important.
Dan Richards? The guy who went on a LEGAL mountain lion hunt in ANOTHER STATE? The guy all the animal rights whackos want to crucify for doing something that is 100% LEGAL?
The job of fish and game is to MANAGE wildlife-NOT to save every animal that the animal rights whackos decide needs saved-wildlife is to be managed for ALL the people of the state-NOT just the save the animals-get rid of the people crowd-and whether YOU like it or not hunting is a valuable part of wildlife management-and is legal,wildlife is a RENEWABLE RESOURCE-the habitat can only support so many mountain lions-period-when the max is reached-some animals have to be removed-people just happen to be the ones that remove the excess cats-because people are one of the very few predators of the mountain lions-especially whenh they are run off by other established cats,and chased into populated areas-get over it-that's how nature works.
larry these big cats are at the top of the food chain. Like they said a 275 square mile area can only support 10-15 mountain lions because of territorial boundaries. Besides that they are one of the few things keeping America a place of wild mystery, we should revere and protect them. Kill all of the feral pigs and deer you can find, those are definitely renewable, and delicious.
"The danger to humans far outweighs the loss of a cat." I don't know about that. Most of the a$$holes in Santa Monica are the sort that our country would be far better off trading their lives 1 for 1 for any kind of big cat. The entire population of Santa Monica would never be missed. Bunch of low-life a$$hole idiots!
"if", the biggest word in the dictionary. So many tough guys use that word to justify their actions. They never learn to do a better job they just shoot and kill and then say "what if" simply because it's the easiest, quickest, and funnest way. Shoot now and ask questions later. . .www.injusticeeverywhere.com check it out and you'll see.
The most dangerous animal on the planet wipes out all the others. When our species becomes extinct, it will be a lot more peaceful......
I notice you are still here spewing your opinions in the comment section when you could be out there doing something about human extinction. Either put up or shut up.
I agree with Sammy, if you think earth would be better off without humans (which it wouldn't) than by living you are only contributing to the problem. Not so say the world would be worse but in nature there is so good or bad. Animals still savagely compete and adapt to changing world and that's how it would be, humans or not. If you nature is peaceful and utopian, you need to get your head out of the television.
Well than, permanently shut all your sphincters and we'll get a head start on this human population issue.
Answer me this riddle though first Sphincter. If we wiped out all the others, and we became extinct, who would be left to care how peaceful it was. But it was an eloquent try at being dramatic.
This is so ridiculous. Any time the police kill something, they have to demonize what they killed and tell us there was no other option. There was a million other options. One of which was not killing something.
I guess you didn't read the article Michael...I'm assuming you can read. The cat was about to get free.
Californication....
Are you serious?!? These Left-Coast wing nuts have truely lost their mind. HELLO, IT'S A WILD ANIMAL! The average person isn't even treated that well when they die.
No wonder California is BANKRUPT...
The reason the lion was cremated was probably to prevent it from being dug up and having its body parts make it to the black market. Apparently people will cut off their paws (among other things), and sell them to someone in chinatown so they can get a boner or whatever.
I'm happy that it will be cremated, so its body can not be desecrated. It's the least we can do to show respect for such a magnificent beast.
I guess they have no nets in Calfornia.
I'll watch while you net a 90 pound lion. That would be fun! Lions and big cities just don't mix. Fact of life.
I think Edward has been watching one too many Disney movies!
Hatari.
Bear Grylls show reject.
call in geraldo rivera. he would put a hoodie on it and make it a public enemy
They have a Liger running around rural Minnesota. I am sure those folks could use some National Press. Apparently no one wants to do anything about it.......YET!
Probably because no one knows what the ell a liger is. And yes I know it is a cross of a lion and tigress before you scream moron... : )
sad. I have to believe this was avoidable.
because I would prefer to live on a planet with these beautiful animals on it, than on one without them.
Mountain lions are not the least bit endangered if you include the whole planet. One dead mtn lion in california will not threaten the rest of the population in the slightest.
You call it circle of life, I call it cowardly.
You're right. They should have sung it a lullaby and maybe pet it until it fell asleep. Maybe rub it's belly...
It's a hungry, pissed off 90 lb. cat! Are you crazy???
3115: Just how do you know it was hungrey the pic i seen it was asleep and yes they could have throwen a net over it until the tranquilizer worked but i dont think any one there has the ba..s.
He problem is when you shoot an animal with a tranquilizer you need to keep the animal restrained until the drug takes effect. Nets, a humane trap, something to restrain them. Sad reason to kill a beautiful animal.
It is unfortunate this had to happen. Given the potential for the harmful interaction with humans, the PD did what was needed to protect public safety which is afterall their pervue.
Tough on the spot descion that was made by an indvidual who had probably never dealt with this before.
Hats off for having the huevos to make it. If anyone had been hurt or worse by this animal, what would you dipweeds be typing about then?
SMPD, DFGjob well done !!!!!!
wow they are so full of .... just like the NDOW here in Nevada is. They are going to have the lion cremated and spread the ashes around a peaceful part of the mountains. I am so impressed... As long as people are involved it will never be peaceful...
and BTW................ one shot, one kill........................ great shot!!!!!!
spread its ashes??? WTH..............
Beautiful cat!! Too bad they couldn't save it. But it seems like they did what they had to.
Why was it shot? Because humans like to kill things. A few years back a gorilla at the Dallas Zoo got out of its enclosure & it was shot & killed by a Dallas cop so fast you just knew that psychopath had been jonesing to kill an animal that is on the brink of extinction. Killing. It's what humans do best. Some cretin in Alaska just lured 2 female wolves out of their safety in Denali just so he could kill them, thereby probably dooming the pack. Elephants & rhinos in Africa are being slaughtered by the thousands because ultra-rich Chinese want their body parts for aphrodisiacs. Humans are blood lusting death worshippers made in the image of Satan, not God. It's going to be a great world when the only animals living are pets, food animals, laboratory animals, zoo animals, & insects.
dude bro,
calm down about the wolves in ak, there are more wolves up there than you could shake a stick at so save your pennies and take a trip up there. the pack will allow a few more bitches in, especially if they are in heat(estrus). do not worry your pretty little head about wolves, they are perfectly capable of surviving.
Wow Schroeder, you need to go spend that 5 cents on Lucy's psychiatry booth again bud.
These things are scared of humans. Unless they're hungry.... There's a reason why it was in the mall.
Every other state creates revenue by selling permits to hunt these things. In California they spend tax payer money to conduct a criminal investigation. No wonder California is broke.
They should send it to the taxidermist and put in on display! Much cheaper than a necropsy, DNA analysis and cremation (sorry California tax payers). And it lasts much longer!
A sad end for a beautiful creature. He was young and didn't know better. The officers involved did their best.