In February, California wildlife officials voted to extend threatened-species protections to roughly 1,400 mountain lions across the Santa Cruz Mountains, Central Coast, Santa Monica, San Gabriel, San Bernardino, Santa Ana, and Eastern Peninsular ranges. This decision followed a 2019 petition, temporary protections that began in 2020, and a state review that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife completed in December 2025. In February 2026, the California Fish and Ga