A nonprofit in the US has set up intense, multicoloured beams around a ranch in Malibu hills to deter a mountain lion from returning to feed on carcasses of 10 alpacas it had killed. Far from being afraid of the mountain lion, the nonprofit, Project Coyote, is actually trying to save the lion from the hands of a hunter who has state permit to kill it.
"We call this action 'Lights of Life,' " said Fauna Tomlinson, a spokeswoman for the nonprofit, Project Coyote. "That's because we're trying to save the lives of big cats, livestock and pets, all at once."
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife had issued a depredation permit for P-45 allowing culling of the lion within 10 days. They had issued the permit to Victoria Vaughn-Perling, the owner of the 10 dead alpacas.
"She wants that lion out of her life," her attorney, Reid Breitman said. "Her main wish is to have it trapped and relocated. If that's not possible, however, her only alternative is to kill it." Vaughn-Perling fears for her life as well, he added.
The rural communities in the Santa Monica Mountains live in fear of 10 to 15 lions that are believed to be roaming in a 275 square miles radius. Children reportedly no longer play outside anymore after dark, the LA Times reported.
"It's come to this: We are about one attack away from mountain lions being shot on sight," said Wendell Phillips, 67, an attorney who lives near Vaughn-Perling. "P-45 is a threat to every creature on four legs," Phillips said. "Now, as a result, people are scared and liable to do irrational things."
"I waited three nights in a row before P-45 showed up. He was taking another bite out of one of my alpacas when I took a shot and the bullet bounced off his head."
"It is only a matter of time when someone will get a kill permit, and successfully kill P-45," Vaughn-Perling said late Wednesday.
These mountain lions have more reason to fear humans who have invaded their habitat and want to eliminate them for doing what they do best, hunt and kill.
