Coexisting With Mountain Lions

Thanks to James Ricci for his April 28 column (“For Mountain Lions, a Life and Death Study,” Metropolis). I think about the peril that mountain lions face every day while living in overdeveloped and overpopulated places such as Orange County. I can’t believe the monstrous growth I’ve witnessed there during the past 13 years. When will Southern Californians wake up? I’m so sick of hearing about homeowners who fear mountain lions in their backyards. It’s the developers’ fault for building there and people’s fault for buying their homes. The mountain lions were there first! Those areas are their habitats, not ours!

I have one beef with one of research scientist Ken Logan’s quotes: “It all boils down to whether we want to coexist with them. I think we can if we follow some simple rules, like keeping our domestic animals in predator-proof enclosures at night.” Well, here’s an easier solution: Keep the animals in the house at night where they belong!

Deedee Dillingham

Lakewood