State officials see merit in extra protections for Southern California mountain lions
(WorldNews Environment)

State officials on Wednesday concluded that several cougar clans in Central and Southern California may warrant listing as threatened under the state Endangered Species Act, a step that could potentially limit highway construction and development on thousands of acres of real estate. Mountain lions are not a threatened species in California, but the determination submitted to the state Fish and Game Commission points out that six isolated and genetically distinct mountain lion populations from Santa Cruz to the U.S.-Mexico border make up a subpopulation that is threatened with extinction. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife reviewed the species´ status in response to a petition...