Five Mountain Lion Kittens Shot To Death

A rancher and Fish and Game officials have killed five mountain lion kittens since Saturday, and one biologist said they likely came from the same litter.

Fish and Game biologist Carl Anderson said chances are the kittens’ mother is dead, too.

The fact that all five turned up near people and within a quarter of a mile of one another indicates to Anderson the cats were siblings and that their mother is likely dead. Two lions were killed by a Downey rancher on Saturday, and the Fish & Game Department killed three more Monday evening in the same area.

All five kittens were about 6 months old, much too young to survive on their own, Anderson said. Lions usually remain with their mothers until they are 18 months or 2 years old.

“The kittens would not have survived on their own,” Anderson said. “It may seem like a bad thing, but in the long run, it was the most humane way to deal with them.”

The two killed Saturday were apparently shot as they stalked a newborn calf. The three killed Monday were shot within sight of a calving operation, Anderson said.