Mary Cummins Wildlife Rehabilitation Animal Advocates News Los Angeles California

Friday, May 31, 2024

Fish & Wildlife Agreed to Give P22 Remains to Natural History Museum Year Before He Died for Taxidermy by Mary Cummins Animal Advocates

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Los Angeles, California mountain lion P22 was euthanized December 17, 2022 at the San Diego Zoo by order of Chuck Bonham of the California Department of Fish & Wildlife. P22's remains were sent to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles in Exposition Park to eventually be put on display as a taxidermy which caused an uproar. People had bonded to P22 over the years so it was akin to stuffing a dearly departed relative and putting them on public display. Immediately afterward California Native Americans and others demanded his remains be buried in a Native American ceremony because he was collectively owned by the people of California including the indigenous people. P22 was buried in an undisclosed location in the Santa Monica mountains.

Below is a timeline of what actually happened. I'm still receiving State Information Act Request documents over a year after P22 died. I haven't received any documents about P22's final remains or burial.

July 21, 2017 the Natural History Museum NHM debuted The Story of P-22, L.A.’s Most Famous Feline in an exhibit at the museum.

November 12, 2021 Miguel Ordenana of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles requested the remains of P22 when he died. The request was made to best preserve his body for use in taxidermy and study at the museum. Miguel Ordenana is the biologist who first discovered P22 in Griffith Park.

December 6, 2021 over a year before P22 died the California Department of Fish & Wildlife gave the Natural History Museum Research and Collections Department permission and permits to take P22's remains when he dies to be used for display. (see top letter)

December 7, 2022 The California Department of Fish & Game sent an advisory saying they will capture P22 to assess his condition.

December 12, 2022 P22 was captured alive and ultimately taken to the San Diego Zoo for assessment and possible treatment.

December 17, 2022 was euthanized, killed at the San Diego Zoo. CDFW stated they'd give the remains to the museum. "The CDFW confirmed this morning that P-22’s final resting place will be at the Natural History Museum in Exposition Park in order to further research efforts on mountain lion biology and conservation."

December 19, 2022 an amended permit was given to the Natural History Museum about P22's remains. The remains were given to the museum. P22's radio collar is on display in the P22 exhibit in the museum. Another mountain lion is taxidermied near P22's display.

December 24, 2022 the museum stated they will not taxidermy and display P22. They had taken scientific samples and performed another necropsy. They were just holding P22 and conferring with others about his final disposition.

March 4, 2023 whatever remains were left of P22 were allegedly buried in a Native American ceremony in an undisclosed location in the Santa Monica mountains. Over three months had passed. By then the museum had done another necropsy, taken samples, xrays, photos, scans and probably took molds of his skull and skeleton.

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

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Mary Cummins

Mary Cummins of Cummins Real Estate Services has been in real estate since 1983, over 35 years. She is licensed by the Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers. Mary Cummins was an agent and broker licensed with the California Department of Real Estate selling residential income, commercial buildings, raw land and homes for Merrill Lynch Realty in Beverly Hills and Westside Properties in Los Angeles before concentrating on appraisals. Mary Cummins currently provides real estate appraisals, expert witness testimony, historical research, legal real estate research for mortgage brokers, banks, lawyers, factors, insurance companies, financial consultants and private individuals. Mary Cummins was born and raised in Southern California. Cummins attended Beverly Hills Good Shepherd Catholic School and Beverly Hills High School. Besides being on the Dean's list, Mary Cummins was a top ten national swimmer and competed on the men's water polo team. Mary Cummins began college at the age of 15 attending the University of Southern California on scholarship, majoring in Psychology/Sociology. http://www.animaladvocates.us http://www.facebook.com/AnimalAdvocatesUSA

Tuesday, May 28, 2024

International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council IWRC Connections and Networking in Latin America and the Caribbean - Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates

We just attended the The International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council IWRC "Connections and Networking in Latin America and the Caribbean" seminar. Dr. Sallaberry-Pincheira was the host of the IWRC’s Coffee & Tea event. It was a unique opportunity to deepen our connections and expand our network within wildlife conservation across Latin America & the Caribbean. Learned a lot about the status of wildlife rehabilitation in Mexico, Chili, Peru and Brazil. They have to deal with wildlife trafficking, wildfires, drought and climate change. They also have to deal with a lack of wildlife rehabilitation facilities, insufficient wildlife care regulations, lack of sufficient funding, lack of coordination and organization. IWRC is working on a Spanish version of the wildlife rehabilitation manual. Looking forward to seeing it.

Host was Dr. Sallaberry-Pincheira. Nicole Sallaberry-Pincheira DVM, MS is a Chilean veterinarian who has been a faculty member at the School of Veterinary Medicine at Andres Bello University, Santiago, Chile for the past 10 years, directing the Wildlife Rehabilitation Unit (UFAS). At the same time, Nicole is pursuing a Clinical Zoological Medicine PhD at the University of Georgia with plans to return to Chile upon completion to continue her work in Wildlife Rehabilitation.

Meeting was in English and Spanish.

#wildliferehabilitation #IWRC #AnimalAdvocates #wildliferehabilitator #wildliferescue #marycummins #mexico #UnitedStates

Mary Cummins

Saturday, May 25, 2024

Photos of Mountain Lion P22 of Griffith Park from 2022 by Mary Cummins Animal Advocates

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Photos of P22 from a State Information Act Request from Animal Advocates to the California Department of Fish & Wildlife. I made the request the day he died December 17, 2022 but it took them months to give me any information. These are confirmed P22 photos based on collar and location tracking.

The photo below looks like it was taken same time as video of P22 eating a raccoon. That looks like bottom half of a raccoon. Raccoons eat poisoned animals so eating a raccoon is one way P22 was poisoned as a secondary poisoning.

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Mary Cummins

Monday, May 20, 2024

Animal Advocates Supports CA AB 1889 the Room to Roam Act by Mary Cummins

Animal Advocates supports California Bill AB 1889 the Room to Roam Act. The leading cause of death and extinction of some wildlife species is human development. Highways, housing projects, farming can block wildlife access to food, water, shelter and mating. Wildlife can be killed trying to cross highways or property fencing to access parts of their natural range. Species such as mountain lions can go extinct from inbreeding in a limited range. This bill would make it mandatory for cities and counties to include plans which allow wildlife connectivity in and through human development.

My only concern is that humans will build in a wildlife area. There will be connectivity features so wildlife such as mountain lions, deer can pass through the property. Humans may then want to kill the wildlife that passes through the property. I hope the government then enforces existing wildlife regulations to protect the wildlife from humans. Currently they allow depredation permits to kill wildlife that say eats a pet rabbit or crops. Hopefully they will include some language to this effect in the final version of the bill that people must protect their pets, livestock and crops.

"AB 1889, as introduced, Friedman. General plan: wildlife connectivity element.

Existing law, the Planning and Zoning Law, requires the legislative body of a city or county to adopt a comprehensive general plan that includes various elements, including land use and housing elements, as specified.

This bill would require a general plan to include a wildlife connectivity element, or related goals, policies, and objectives integrated in other elements, that considers the effect of development within the jurisdiction on fish, wildlife, and habitat connectivity, as specified. The bill would require the wildlife connectivity element to, among other things, identify and analyze connectivity areas, permeability, and natural landscape areas within the jurisdiction, incorporate and analyze specified guidelines and standards, incorporate and analyze relevant information from specified sources, and incorporate and analyze relevant best available science. The bill would require a city or county subject to these provisions to adopt or review the wildlife connectivity element, or related goals, policies, and objectives integrated in other elements, upon the adoption or next revision of one or more elements on or after January 1, 2025. The bill would include related legislative findings and declarations. By adding to the duties of county and city officials in the administrating of their land use planning duties, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program."

Mary Cummins

Saturday, April 13, 2024

Animal Advocates Supports AB 2552 to Amend Food Agriculture Code inre Pesticides, Mary Cummins

Support Letter to Waters, Parks & Wildlife Committee

I'm Mary Cummins President of Animal Advocates. I almost died from accidental exposure to anti-coagulant bait in 2003 in San Buenaventura, California during a California Department of Fish & Wildlife cleanup. I strongly support (AB 2552) to amend the Food and Agricultural Code relating to pesticides. It will better protect California wildlife and communities against harmful rodenticides.

Mountain lion P22 died from anticoagulant-related nephropathy which resulted in bleeding in the kidneys which causes kidney failure. Anticoagulant exposure was also the cause of P22's mite infestation. This poison directly and indirectly killed P22. (Necropsy report, findings) https://animaladvocatesmarycummins.blogspot.com/2023/06/op-ed-mountain-lion-p-22-killed-by.html

Anticoagulant rodenticides are poisoning California wildlife and have been documented in at least 38 nontarget species including the critically endangered San Joaquin kit fox and California condor. The problem is so severe that over 70% of wildlife tested in California are exposed to rodenticides. National Park Service researchers have documented the presence of anticoagulant rodenticides in 39 out of 40 mountain lions tested in the Santa Monica Mountains, which are already threatened with local extinction from habitat fragmentation and lack of wildlife connectivity. In September 2022, the four unborn kittens of a pregnant mountain lion named P-54 also tested positive for anticoagulant rodenticides.

AB 2552 is desperately needed to limit the dangerous second generation anticoagulant rodenticides and strengthen future restrictions on anticoagulant rodenticides, including the first generation anticoagulant diphacinone, to better protect wildlife, children, and pets.

Mary Cummins

President

Animal Advocates

Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation, Education

http://www.facebook.com/AnimalAdvocatesUSA

http://www.AnimalAdvocates.us

Please contact members of the Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee to support AB 2552, with the following options:

Call any member and briefly state your support for AB 2552.
If you are in a committee member’s district, click the “Contact Assembly Member” link to fill out the form and state your support for the bill.
Create an online account, then submit a brief letter stating your support for the bill.

NB: The state has discontinued allowing citizens to call in during committee hearings to support a bill.

Mary Cummins

Tuesday, April 9, 2024

Fish & Wildlife Wants to Kill All Barred Owls to Protect Spotted Owls, by Mary Cummins Animal Advocates

Fish & Wildlife wants to shoot and kill barred owls to save spotted owls. Animal Advocates does not agree. spotted owl,barred owl,fish and wildlife,mary cummins,animal advocates,wildlife rehabilitator,wildlife rehabilitation,los angeles,california,wildlife,wildife rescue,.Photos: Wikipedia

Many people have asked us about our stand on the Fish & Wildlife proposal to kill barred owls to protect spotted owls in California. This is our position. We have sent in comment letters.

The Federal Fish & Wildlife Department FWS proposed shooting and killing barred owls in California, Washington and Oregon to allegedly save the spotted owl. This is their official proposal made November 2023 linked below. They claim the barred owl isn't native to these specific areas. Barred owls expanded their range across the nation naturally. They weren't artificially introduced.

The real cause of reduction of spotted owl population is climate change, bark beetle, human development, wildfires, timber harvest, drought... Barred owls are larger, more aggressive and more adaptable than spotted owls. Barred owls are more adaptable as to their wider variety of prey, nesting sites, habitat range...They out compete spotted owls for prey, habitat and space. Barred owls aren't fighting and killing spotted owls directly.

Fish & Wildlife has offered these same solutions for Fox Tree Squirrels versus Western Gray Squirrels. It's the same issue though fox squirrels have two litters per year as opposed to one for WSG. If you kill all barred owls, spotted owls will still decline for the reasons stated above. They need to look at the root causes of the decline in spotted owls and deal with those issues. That will save spotted owls and many other animals.

https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Final%20draft%20Barred%20Owl%20EIS.pdf

"Abstract: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has developed a proposed Barred Owl

Management Strategy to address the threat of the non-native, invasive barred owl to the native

northern and California spotted owls. This action is necessary to support the survival of the

threatened northern spotted owl and avoid substantial impacts to the California spotted owl

populations from barred owl competition. This Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft

EIS) was prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This Draft EIS

evaluates the impacts of six alternatives, including a no action alternative, on the human

environment, including spotted owls, barred owls, other wildlife species, recreation and visitor

use, wilderness areas, socioeconomics, and climate change."

Mary Cummins

Friday, March 15, 2024

Animal Tracks Wildlife Sanctuary Provides Wildlife, Exotic Animal Education, Exhibit in Los Angeles, California

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Animal Tracks Inc in Aqua Dulce, Los Angeles, California provides wildlife, exotic and domestic animal education and exhibit. They offer private and group tours at their facility. They are a 501 3c nonprofit organization that's licensed with USDA and Fish & Wildlife.

The Executive Director is Stacy Gunderson. "Stacy grew up in Simi Valley, California and has always been inspired by the Primatologist, Jane Goodall. She attended The Exotic Animal Training & Management Program (EATM) at Moorpark College and graduated in 1989. Stacy went right to work as a movie animal trainer and had the amazing opportunity to travel the world making movies with the animals she loved. In 2008, Stacy was given the opportunity to take over as Director of Animal Tracks, a 501(c)3 Nonprofit near and dear to her heart, as it had been started in 2002 by a friend. Stacy is the mother of two children, now young adults, but Animal Tracks became a third child, a true labor of love that she helped grow and nurture into the successful facility it is now. She is still excited to go to work every single day. Her main hope is that people will realize that animals that need to be in captivity can live a quality, happy life. They can share their beauty and inspire humans to take care of this planet and all that reside on it. Animal Tracks is woven into the fabric of her family’s lives, and Stacy hopes it will continue to be a huge part of the Gunderson tradition for generations to come."

They have the following animals and many more: armadillo, baboon, african crested porpupine, macaque, capuchin, cockatoo, donkeys, emus, fennec fox, ferret, groundhog, hedgehob, kankaroo, kinkaju, marmoset, opossum, raccoon, pig, patagonian mara, red fox, serval, scorpion, skunk, squirrel monkey, sugar glider, wolf, coyote hybrid, wolf hybrid and more.

Below are a few photos from our recent visit in 2024.We highly recommend them for a great immersive educational experience with live animals.