RENO, Nev. — A coalition of wildlife advocates has submitted a petition to the Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners, urging changes to the state’s trapping regulations to better protect mountain lions. According to the group, despite being classified as a “non-target” species, mountain lions in Nevada are frequently injured or killed due to current trapping practices.
“The Nevada Wildlife Commission’s stated mission is to ‘protect and conserve wildlife and its habitat,’ and the trapping policies they support do the exact opposite when it comes to mountain lions,” said Don Molde, co-founder of the Nevada Wildlife Alliance.
The group says state data from 2002 to 2015 reveals that at least 278 mountain lions were trapped, with 11 injured and 24 killed. However, only 19% of trappers report their non-target catches, suggesting the actual number of affected lions is likely much higher.
“Information from the Nevada Department of Wildlife – over 20 years of data – shows that about one of every six mountain lions in Nevada has signs of injury consistent with previous trap or snare encounters,” Molde said. “We don’t know how many others die of injuries or starve to death and go undetected. Probably a lot.”