A mountain lion near Malibu, Calif. might have enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast of its own over the weekend, as a tagged animal known as P-45 is suspected of killing 11 alpacas and a goat on two separate ranches in the foothills above the town.
According to reports, one ranch owner where 10 alpacas were taken secured a permit yesterday to hunt down and shoot the suspected lion. His “depradation permit” allows him to kill the animal, using meat to lure it in. The permit is good for 10 days and includes areas between Mulholland Highway and Little Sycamore Canyon Road.
Photo: National Park Service
Andrew Hughan, a spokesman for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, said the homeowner did everything possible to protect the animals, keeping them penned up behind barbed wire and adding motion sensors to the property. The animal fed on one of the carcasses and left the others for later, officials suspect. This specific cougar is wearing a radio collar and has been busted for feeding on livestock before. The lion killed an alpaca and attacked a llama at a winery in 2015 (Malibu Family Wines). The animal was captured and released further into the road-less area by officials with the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreational Area but has apparently returned. Alpacas look like small llamas but are bread for their coat–which is used as a fiber.
The Santa Monica National Recreation Area sent an email today urging citizens in the area to attend a course on living in mountain lion country. In March, a mountain lion known as P-22 snuck into the L.A. Zoo abating Griffith Park and ate an endangered koala bear.
