Santiago Canyon Landowner Shoots, Kills 2 Cougars as Threats to His Goats

A landowner in Santiago Canyon shot and killed two mountain lions that he said threatened the lives of goats that graze on his 140-acre property, angering some neighbors who say the goats are not properly fenced in and are prime bait for the cougars.

Authorities at the California Department of Fish and Game in Long Beach said Pete Katelaris operated within state guidelines and received permits from the department to shoot the mountain lions in February and March.

Under Proposition 117, a state law approved by voters in 1990 that provides protection for wild animals such as mountain lions, a person can get a permit to kill a cougar if it is causing damage or injury, or is threatening someone’s safety, according to Fish and Game spokesman Curt Taucher.

Katelaris got the permits to shoot the cougars one day after each shooting, which is also within state guidelines. Fish and Game officials said a person can wait 24 hours after a shooting before obtaining a permit.

On one of the permits, dated Feb. 24, Katelaris said the cougars were a threat to his herd of goats and reported that he made attempts to scare the mountain lions away. The permit did not specify how he tried to do that, and Katelaris did not return phone calls from The Times.

The dead cougars were wearing tracking collars as part of an important regional study on mountain lions being conducted by a UC Irvine biologist working for county and state officials.

This has caused an uproar among neighbors along Santiago Canyon Road who say Katelaris has no respect for nature or wildlife. They also argue that the goats were not properly penned in and represented too enticing a target for the cougars.

“Keeping goat bait out smacks of irresponsibility,” said Bob Hunt. “I’m not a cougar advocate either. But to put bait out and not think to scare (a cougar) away, but to shoot it is not compassionate. There are better ways to do it besides killing.”

The shootings come at a time when the federal government is being lobbied to immediately list the mountain lions in the Santa Ana Mountains as an endangered species. The Sacramento-based Mountain Lion Foundation cited growing development in Orange County as the primary reason for special protection for the animals.

In 1990, there were 179 permits issued throughout California that resulted in 62 mountain lion killings, a Fish and Game official said. Orange County had no mountain lion deaths and there was only one in San Diego County.

Between 24 and 38 cougars roam the Santa Ana Mountains, according to Mark Palmer, conservation director for the foundation, who advises residents living in these areas to take preventive measures against cougar attacks.

“Anyone living in mountain lion country should not leave their pets out open to prey,” Palmer said. “Steps should be taken to protect them.”

Palmer said there are many ways to discourage cougar attacks, such as keeping animals fenced in a covered area at night, having guard dogs, keeping bright lights over the area at night and cutting back vegetation that mountain lions hide in.

“Proper husbandry techniques can make all the difference in the world,” said Larry Sitton, a Fish and Game wildlife management official. “We would suggest anybody with pets and livestock keep animals in a covered area, but we don’t have the legal right to enforce that.”

Some experts say covered fencing may not prevent cougar attacks because the animals’ scent is enough to attract mountain lions. Palmer, however, said cougars do not have an acute sense of smell such as that of the wolf or some other animals.

“Keeping them locked in is the best way to protect them,” Palmer said.