California Mountain Lions relocated to the desert starve to death

A recent report from California's Department of Fish and Wildlife has shed light on a distressing incident involving two male lions that were relocated from their natural habitat in the mountains to the Mojave Desert, ultimately leading to their starvation and demise.

The lions, known as L147 and L176, were captured in the eastern Sierra Nevada, their native range, and transported over 200 miles east to an isolated area in the Mojave Desert. Their attempt to navigate their way back home proved futile, as the vast desert landscape offered little sustenance. L147's emaciated body was discovered, revealing his tragic fate due to starvation. L176's condition was equally dire, necessitating euthanasia.

Tom Stephenson, a senior environmental scientist at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, admitted that the decision to relocate the lions was ill-conceived: "In hindsight, it wasn't a good place to release those lions. And we're not moving them to that environment anymore."

The report emphasized that further relocations of male lions will be discontinued, as their instinctual drive to protect their mates and territory leads them back to their original habitats. This revelation stems from the department's goal to safeguard mated females from potential competitors.

This unfortunate incident was unveiled in a report centered around California's Bighorn Sheep Recovery Program, which focuses on the restoration of the federally endangered bighorn sheep population. While the state's efforts have contributed to the recovery of these creatures, it appears that the relocation of the lions posed unforeseen challenges.

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The lions were initially removed in 2021 due to their predation on local bighorn sheep. However, the relocation distance raised eyebrows, as it was apparently connected to an evaluation of new relocation sites, potentially linked to a future high-speed rail project between Southern California and Las Vegas.

Tom Stephenson clarified that the relocation was not an experimental effort as implied by the report. An upcoming report for 2022 is expected to provide more clarity on the situation.

Stephenson highlighted the delicate balance between restoring populations and preserving ecosystems: "We knew this would be a touchy situation, but we're in the difficult position of trying to restore entire populations and maintain the integrity of ecosystems."

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