Residents voice concerns over permits to shoot mountain lion attacking animals in Malibu

AGOURA HILLS, Calif. (KABC) -- Many residents packed a room in Agoura Hills to voice their outrage Wednesday night after a property owner was granted permission to kill a mountain lion that has attacked his alpacas at his Santa Monica Mountain ranch.

The meeting, held by the Department of Fish and Wildlife, was at times heated as speakers were shouted down by the angry crowd.

Officials believe the mountain lion, known as P-45, killed several alpacas in Malibu over the last several weeks. On Tuesday, they issued a 10-day permit, which allows ranchers to shoot and kill the lion within a 10-mile radius from where the attacks happened.

"If we don't find a way to work it out, I think in our area we're about one more mass killing away from the ranchers starting to shoot mountain lions basically on site," rancher Wendell Philips said.

Philips has had several of his alpacas killed on his ranch by a mountain lion.

Animal activists said there should be other solutions, such as relocating P-45 to the Wildlife Waystation. An attorney for one of the activists said ten of her alpacas were killed, and though she has a permit to kill the mountain lion, she does not want to.

"She's had repeated attacks over the last year. It has taken this much to finally push her over the edge," attorney Reid Breitman said.

He added that there will be ongoing discussion with Fish and Wildlife officials as well as political leaders in an effort to resolve the issue.