Public Safety or Public Trickery :: Proposition 197 Mountain Lions Wildlife Essays

Public gumshoe or Public Trickery In past categorys, the debate everywhere human and upsurge lion interaction has been quite heated. The calcium legislature has addressed issues c one timerning the hunting of jackpot lions for over 80 years. On work 26, 1996, the most recent ballot measure deciding the fate of the atomic number 20 jaguar (Felis concolor), suggestion 197, was not passed. This would have repealed the 1990 passing of Proposition 117, which banned all trophy hunting of big money lions, allowing only trained discussion section of Fish and Game officials to kill lions that became a threat to public guard duty and welfare. While compassion is felt for the victims of the relatively few mountain lion attacks, the denial of Proposition 197, which would have ended a 25 year ban on cougar hunting, was a victory for the California cougar as well as the welfare of California wildlife. Traditional Beliefs ahead current knowledge of mountain lion activity had been resea rched, it was commonly believed that mountain lions were ferocious killers which crept down from the mountains to indulge in midnight feasts on livestock and pets. Of course, the shoot harbored fear was the possibility of losing children, family and friends to these wild predators. Besides the past 25 years, bittie concern was given to the condition of mountain lion populations in California and much of the western United States. Between 1916 and 1971, more than 12,000 mountain lions were killed for bounties and for brag in California (California Wildlife Protection Coalition, 1995). Past Legislation By 1968 mountain lion populations plummeted to an estimated 600, resulting in rapid action of wildlife organizations and state officials. Governor Ronald Reagan became convinced(p) that a moratorium on hunting mountain lions was necessary to protect Californias depart cougars from extinction. In 1971, he signed a moratorium against trophy hunting of mountain lions (California Wildl ife Protection Coalition, 1995). The moratorium lasted 25 years until it was finalized in 1990 by the passing of Proposition 117 California Wildlife Protection Act of 1990 (Knowles, 1995). In 1994, the National Rifle connexion (N.R.A.) and supporters of hunting organizations used the media to spawn public paranoia regarding recent attacks and population revival of California mountain lions. With this public support, trophy hunters hoped the passing of Proposition 197 would once again allow them to decimate the lion population for the sake of decorative wall-mountings. Recent Controversy The past 25 years have prove quite prosperous for the mountain lion population as their numbers game have been currently estimated at 4,000-6,000.