SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Feb. 12, 2026) — In Defense of Animals welcomes a vote today by the California Fish and Game Commission to protect imperiled mountain lions across much of the state under the state Endangered Species Act (CESA).

“This is an epic win for California’s iconic big cats,” said Katie Nolan, Wild Animals campaigner for In Defense of Animals, who spoke at the meeting. “Not only will protection give inherently valuable individuals a much-needed lifeline, it will have a cascading impact that will improve biodiversity.”

The move comes in response to a petition filed by the Center for Biological Diversity and Mountain Lion Foundation in 2019, an effort supported by In Defense of Animals, that led to the California Fish and Game Commission voting to move forward on candidacy, which triggered a review by the CDFW to determine if they should be listed.

In December 2025, the agency finally recommended protecting the Southern California and Central Coast mountain lion populations under CESA. In Defense of Animals supporters in the state submitted 948 comments in support of the recommendations. 

Even following the passage of Proposition 117 in 1990, which classified them as a specially-protected mammal, mountain lions have continued to face heavy pressure from numerous threats, including vehicle strikes, competition, disease, the use of rodenticides, wildfires, and habitat loss and fragmentation, which have led to inbreeding and decreased genetic diversity.

The Southern California and Central Coast mountain lions proposed as a distinct population segment (DPS) for listing as threatened under CESA are particularly vulnerable to these threats, which has raised concerns that they could become locally extinct, especially considering they are solitary and territorial and need vast areas to roam.

The commission’s vote will legally mandate state agencies to take steps to address threats they face from the Bay Area to the border of Mexico, which should include improving habitat connectivity, protecting habitats important to them, and working to reduce human causes of mortality, among other measures.

“Mountain lion P-22’s rise to fame after being photographed in front of the Hollywood Sign raised much-needed awareness about the plight these big cats face as they try to navigate an increasingly developed world,” added Nolan. “It’s wonderful to see his legacy has helped grow public concern for their survival and now their protection.”

### NOTES ###

Contact: Katie Nolan, Katie@idausa.org, ‪(203) 823-8228

In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization based in Marin County, California, with over 250,000 supporters and a history of fighting for animals, people, and the environment through education and campaigns, as well as hands-on rescue facilities in India, South Korea, Mississippi, and Central California, since 1983. https://idausa.org/wildanimals

### ENDS ###