California lost the Griz and Wolf at the turn of the 20th Century but in 1980 Citizens voted to protect Cougars..............Could the Wolf and Grizzly Bear ever return to the "land of dreams"?

Tails of Marin: Living peacefully with state's last great predator, mountain lions

Christopher Papouchis

Posted: 09/17/2010 09:58:17 PM PDT

Charismatic, powerful, elusive and sometimes dangerous, mountain lions capture our attention, provoke our imagination and inspire our fear and respect perhaps more than any other species in California. Fear and loathing prompted our forefather's efforts to eradicate mountain lions, along with wolves and grizzly bears, from California and the rest of the United States. In present-day California only the mountain lion remains, the wolf and grizzly bear having been eradicated by the early 20th century.
That mountain lions can still be found in California is a testament to their ability to adapt to life along the fringes of modern society. However, as the human population of California continues to grow mountain lion populations are finding themselves under increasing pressure.
Why should we try to save an animal that occasionally kills our livestock and pets and even, although very rarely, attacks and kills us? The answer is simple: we need them. As Kent Redford, director of the Wildlife Conservation Society, has so eloquently written, saving mountain lions and other large carnivores is "a test of our humanity and of our ability to save the earth.  As go these wild animals, so goes the human soul."
But the importance of conserving mountain lions is not just about saving the human soul, it is also crucial to human prosperity and survival.
Scientists tell us that mountain lions and other large carnivores help maintain the natural biodiversity that drives the Earth's life-support system upon which humans are dependent for our health, well-being and indeed our very existence. They do this by maintaining the health and integrity of ecosystems by keeping deer and other prey from becoming overabundant and degrading their habitat.
However, the disappearance of mountain lions from an area triggers an ecological chain reaction that leads to diminished biodiversity and a breakdown of the services that biodiversity provides. Such "ecosystem services" include the production of food and water, the control of climate and disease; the cycling of nutrients and pollination of crops, as well as opportunities for spiritual renewal and recreation. In short, the benefits we gain from saving mountain lions far outweigh the risks they pose to us.
There can be little doubt that conserving mountain lions is in the common interest of Californians. Successfully saving these animals depends upon our ability to garner enduring public support for their conservation and our willingness to protect sufficient habitat to sustain them.
Thirty years ago a majority of Californians voiced their support for protecting mountain lions by approving Proposition 117, thereby banning the recreational killing of these animals and allocating funds to help conserve their habitat and that of their prey. It was an important first step. Yet today, as our wildlands continue to shrink in the face of a rapidly expanding human footprint, the long-term survival of mountain lions in California is increasingly linked to our ability and willingness to coexist with them.
Whether we are willing to take on the challenges posed by living alongside this graceful and powerful predator will determine their fate. For the sake of our children and grandchildren, I hope we do.
IF YOU GO
What: "Mountain Lions - Saving California's Last Great Predator" with Christopher Papouchis
When: 7 to 9 p.m. Sept. 21
Where: Marin Humane Society, 171 Bel Marin Keys Blvd., Novato
Admission: Free
Information: 506-6209
Christopher Papouchis is an adjunct professor of natural resources at American River College. The Marin Humane Society contributes Tails of Marin articles. Go to MarinHumaneSociety.org.