Reward Increases for Information on Mountain Lion Kill

The reward amount for information in the in the Santa Monica Mountains has been raised to $16,700, thanks to a contribution from the Malibu City Council.

The council voted unanimously on Monday to contribute $5,000 toward the reward offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the .

The total reward includes $5,000 from the city of Calabasas, $5,000 from the Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust and the California Department of Fish and Game, $1,500 from the Ventura County-based Animal Rescue Team Inc. and $200 from San Diego's Mountain Lion Foundation.

The 7-year-old male lion, known to the National Park Service as P-15, was collared with a GPS device so NPS biologists could monitor him. His collar stopped sending signals in August and he was found dead Sept. 11. Fish and Game investigators concluded poachers killed the animal.

Councilwoman Pamela Conley Ulich proposed the city contribute to the reward.

"It sends a very clear message that we will protect our residents, and whether they're animals or humans—they matter," she said.

Malibu animal advocates Alessandra DeClario and Sherman Baylin addressed the council in favor of the measure prior to the vote.

"This sets a very good precedent for us that we take our wildlife seriously and that we can be proactive to protect our environment and our cougars," said Baylin, who owns the pet grooming and supply business .