ast June, California voters tried to strike a blow for the state's endangered moun- tain lions when they passed Proposition 1 17, protecting all but the most aggressive cats from human beings. Anybody caught killing, trapping, or transporting a moun- tain lion in the state now faces one year in jail and a $10,000 fine. The Wilderness So- ciety, Defenders of Wildlife, and the Sierra Club all lined up behind the measure, and there was nothing in the debate (such as it was) to suggest that Proposition 1...