California - Ban Bobcat Trapping & Killing

Please sign and share this petition on all media sites possible in an effort to speak out to California Fish & Wildlife regarding the protection of the Bobcat. The Bobcat Protection Act was passed in 2013, prohibiting the trapping and killing of the animal but is not fully implemented. We want to encourage wildlife officials to enforce the Act and ban bobcat trapping and killing or face severe consequences.

The Bobcat Protection Act was proposed and passed in 2013 by the California legislature in an attempt to prohibit commercial trapping of the bobcat in addition to the sales for their pelts. It was perfectly legal prior to the act to trap and kill the bobcat predominantly for their fur. The animal has now been classified as endangered and in fear of extinction.

The hope was that the Bobcat Protection Act would protect the bobcat but trapping and killing of the animal for their beautiful fur continues in many areas of California since the new bill is not fully enforced. This is due to the rising demand for their pelts throughout Russia and China. The bobcat is still being horrifically trapped, killed and skinned to meet the needs of the cruel international fur trade.

The bobcat is crucial to the ecological balance in their natural habitat. We are working through this petition to encourage California legislators and the Fish & Game Commission to do more to enforce the Bobcat Protection Act along with an expansion of the ban against bobcat trapping throughout all of the state. This can only happen if the Commission hears loud and clear how outraged people are regarding the continual trapping and killing of the bobcat. This is why we need to speak out very loudly through this petition that the trapping, killing and skinning of bobcats cannot be tolerated.

We need to work to encourage the commission to strengthen the legislation in an effort to protect the bobcat and not exploit it for its fur. As one advocate, Ms. Fox of the Project Coyote stated, “The value of one live bobcat to the millions who enjoy wildlife watching far outweighs the value of one dead bobcat to one fur trapper. These animals are not commodities to be exploited by a handful of trappers, and so we must protect and value them for what they are, living members of a healthy ecosystem. If the state is to bring its wildlife laws into the 21st century, it must vote for a complete ban on trapping bobcats.” Help us to achieve our goals and protect this animal, not only state but worldwide by signing and sharing this petition everywhere possible.