Local residents and animal welfare groups are in a heated debate with the police over what to do about a mountain lion that was spotted roaming along Pacific Avenue by shopkeepers, homeless people, and private security officers. While Officials with the Department of Fish and Game continue their hunt for the predator, a group of radical environmentalists met at the SubRosa café on Thursday to demand that the animal be left to roam what was once its natural habitat. “We stole this land from the animals that once lived here,” said one participant, who only identified himself as Jag. “We can’t go shooting them just to maintain our exploitative bourgeoisie existence here.”
Surprisingly, a group of local business owners appeared at the meeting to show support for the environmentalists. One businessman, who refused to be identified, said that the mountain lion is a potential draw and could bring curious visitors downtown at night. “My restaurant is leaving scraps outside at night, especially bacon scraps,” he said. “Hopefully, the mountain lion is hungry.” He noted, however, that he is only doing this at night, when no small children are around.
One group that is not happy about the mountain lion is the homeless population of downtown Santa Cruz. “It’s hard enough to deal with the rain,” said Terrell Jones, who has lived on the street for the past three years. “Now we have to worry about mountain lions too.” Homeless advocate Robert Norse has called on the city to arm its homeless population with mace, so that they can fight off the predator. He went on to congratulate Mayor Ryan Coonerty for doing what he can to hunt down the animal.
Other local figures are more circumspect about the issue. Chip of the Downtown Association said that he appreciated the danger that the mountain lion posed to passersby, but understood how it could improve business too. “Just look at what the missing cobra did for the Bronx Zoo in New York. The Reptile House hasn’t had that much interest in years.”
A spokeswoman for the Department of Fish and Game refused to comment on the ongoing debate, saying that it is not the Department’s role to get involved in local politics.
Meanwhile, Police Chief Kevin Vogel has asked the First Alarm private security firm which patrols the downtown area to be on the lookout for the lion. He told them to “think of the lion attacking people downtown as a different type of street crime.” When the firm expressed its reservations, he quipped, “Mountain lions are a lot less dangerous than gangs.” Read more at the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
