How do you respond to opposition to the Department’s removal of lions in the vicinity of the Kofa NWR?
A26 It would be hard to find an animal more symbolic of the Sonoran Desert than the desert bighorn sheep, which is prominently displayed in the logos of the Center for Biological Diversity, the Animal Defense League of Arizona, and other organizations. The Kofa NWR bighorn sheep herd has proven to be an invaluable resource in the reestablishment of the species in areas from which they had been eliminated and in the maintenance of the genetic and reproductive health of existing populations. Bighorn from the Kofa have been critical to the health of bighorn populations across Arizona and throughout the southwestern United States, to include New Mexico, Colorado, and Texas. The Kofa, which, until quite recently had no historical record of resident lions, is not critical to the health of the Arizona mountain lion population. If continued research confirms the preliminary results of earlier research to the effect that lion predation is adding new and unsustainable mortality to the bighorn sh
