More than 1,400 California mountain lions are now protected by the state's Endangered Species Act. On Thursday, the California Fish and Game Commission unanimously voted to list six isolated puma populations in Southern California and the Central Coast as threatened under the state law, meaning they're likely to become endangered in the absence of intervention. During the public meeting, Commissioner Erika Zavaleta said it's good that the lions aren't facing imminent extinction, explaining, "I believe it's better for us to take action before we get to that point."
From Highway 101 to Monterey Road, traffic in Silicon Valley has become deadly for wildlife trying to move between the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Diablo Range. Now, a major project is underway to connect preserved open spaces in the South Bay and reduce dangerous crashes for drivers. Monterey Road is a death trap, said Fraser Shilling, a researcher at UC Davis who studies how wildlife interacts with roads.
