Fish And Game Commission Head Under Fire For Killing Mountain Lion
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – The head of California's Fish and Game Commission is under fire over the killing of a mountain lion, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
The newspaper reports that California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom is urging Commission president Daniel Richards to resign over the incident.
Richards apparently shot the cougar while on a hunting expedition in Idaho. A photograph showing him holding the bloody carcass has been making it around the internet.
Killing a mountain lion is illegal in California, however it is legal in Idaho.
The newspaper says conservationists and animal lovers are outraged. It says Gavin on Monday joined 40 Democratic Assembly members calling for Richards to resign.
There is also an online petition being circulated by The Humane Society of the United States that allows people to send a message to the California Fish and Game Commission saying the killing of the cougar is "unacceptable".
However, several hunting and fishing groups are rallying behind him. The California Outdoor Heritage Alliance saying "Mr. Richards' legal hunting activities, while in Idaho, have no bearing on the execution of his duties in the protection of California's wildlife. "
The next commission hearing is scheduled for February 7 in Riverside.
