ACTIVISTS PROTEST PROP. 197\Celebrities turn out to defend big cats.Byline: Sherry Joe Crosby Daily News Staff Writer In a wildlife preserve for big cats, a group of celebrity animal rights activists Thursday protested Proposition 197, which would remove special protection for the state's mountain lions and potentially allow them to be hunted for sport. Actress Tippi Hedren Nathalie Kay "Tippi" Hedren (born January 19, 1930)[1] is an American actress with a career spanning six decades. She is best known for her role as Melanie Daniels in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds joined fellow celebrities Linda Blair, Rue McClanahan Rue McClanahan (born Eddi Rue McClanahan on February 21, 1934 in Healdton, Oklahoma) is an Emmy Award-winning American actress, best known for her roles on the television sitcoms Maude and The Golden Girls. and Rikki Rockett Rikki Rockett (born Richard Allan Ream, 8 August 1961, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania) is best known as the drummer for the American glam metal band, Poison. Life and work Rockett was the younger of two children to Norman and Margaret Ream. at Hedren's Shambala Wildlife Preserve in Acton. Joined by other animal rights activists, the group urged voters to reject the proposition. "The mountain lion could become extinct if they allow trophy hunting Trophy hunting is the selective hunting of wild game. While parts of the slain animal may be kept as a hunting trophy or memorial (usually the skin, antlers and/or head), the carcass itself is usually used as food. Trophy hunting has firm supporters and opponents. ," Hedren said. "This is a bad, bad proposition. The mountain lion is our 'Lion King,' and we have to save it." Hunting mountain lions in California has been illegal since 1972. If passed by voters, Prop. 197 would eliminate special protections enjoyed by the lions and require the state Fish and Game Department to create a management plan, which could include the hunting of the big cats. Prop. 197 supporters said the measure would give state wildlife authorities another tool to manage a burgeoning population of mountain lions, which have threatened livestock and pets and in 1994 killed two women in separate incidents. "It's an answer to our escalating problems with mountain lions," said Joe Giardiello, campaign manager for Californians for Balanced Wildlife Management. "They've increased their attacks on livestock, and pets are being taken from people's back yards." From 1972 to 1994, the state Fish and Game Department issued 2,347 deprivation permits to hunt lions who threatened livestock or humans, Giardiello said. And attacks have doubled since 1989, he said. But critics said the measure is simply an excuse to hunt the big cats, outlawed in California since 1972. "It's about trophy hunting," said Doris Lin, a USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. law student and co-president of the campus's Animal Legal Protection Society. "It's about running a mountain lion up a tree with a pack of hunting dogs." Said Bee Simpson, Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. coordinator for the California Wildlife Protection Coalition, "The hunters will be allowed to kill any lion big enough for a trophy. It's not going to remove the problem lion but provide a trophy for the hunter." Moreover, opponents said the proposition is unnecessary because state law already allows for the killing of mountain lions who have threatened livestock, pets or humans. "State law already allows for the killing of mountain lions who are perceived imminent threat Imminent threat is a standard criterion in international law, developed by Daniel Webster, for when the need for action is "instant, overwhelming, and leaving no choice of means, and no moment for deliberation. to humans or livestock," Simpson said. If the proposition passes, opponents said the number of mountain lions could drop sharply from their estimated 4,000 to 6,000 population. Although the proposition has sparked sharp debate, the two sides agree on one thing: Too many people are encroaching on mountain lions' territory with disastrous results. "The problem really is human encroachment An illegal intrusion in a highway or navigable river, with or without obstruction. An encroachment upon a street or highway is a fixture, such as a wall or fence, which illegally intrudes into or invades the highway or encloses a portion of it, diminishing its width or area, but ," said Rockett, a radio talk show host for KLSX-FM (97.1). CAPTION(S): PHOTO Photo (color) Jesus Torres handles Tabitha, a 1-year-old mountain lion, at a press conference held Thursday at the Shambala Wildlife Preserve in Acton to oppose passage of Proposition 197. Tom Mendoza Tom Mendoza joined Network Appliance, Inc. in 1994 and has served as its President since 2000. Mr. Mendoza has more than 31 years as a high technology executive and has served in an advisory capacity on the board of directors of Netscreen (acquired by Juniper), Rhapsody (acquired by / Daily News |
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