BAKERSFIELD, Calif., May 14 (UPI) -- A man fired from a California ranch is suing his former employer, saying he was let go for speaking up about the routine slaughter of mountain lions.
Bron Sanders, a former hunting guide at Tejon Ranch near Bakersfield, claims the illegal killings took place in the six years he was employed there, The Bakersfield Californian reported Friday.
Killing mountain lions was banned in 1991 by the California Legislature, though they are not considered an endangered species. They may be killed if deemed a threat to people or livestock.
The wrongful termination suit filed this month alleges guides were encouraged to shoot the animals, in return for perks including additional work hours, the paper reported.
Tejon Co., a publicly traded company that charges clients up to $10,000 to hunt elk, antelope, deer, wild turkeys, bears and other animals on its land, has denied the allegations.
"Based on that investigation and those interviews, we determined that the allegations were ridiculous and untrue," a statement issued Friday by Tejon's vice president of corporate communications and marketing, Barry Zoeller, said.
Sanders is seeking $500,000 in lost wages.
