SAN ANTONIO— The Center for Biological Diversity today filed a lawsuit in federal court to stop the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services program from trapping, shooting and poisoning Texas’ wildlife.

The lawsuit also asks the court to order Wildlife Services to update its environmental analyses to account for new science. This includes critical information documenting its killing program’s potential harm to overexploited mountain lion populations and to black bears, which are a threatened species under state law.

“Wildlife Services gambles with the lives of Texas’ beloved black bears every time it sets out dangerous traps to target carnivores for the livestock industry, and it needs to stop,” said Tala DiBenedetto, a carnivore conservation staff attorney at the Center. “The agency needs to quit using outdated and faulty analyses to justify this slaughter, especially when the stakes are so high for mountain lions and black bears.”

Texas is the only state that allows shooting and trapping of its mountain lion populations at any time without bag limits or reporting requirements. As a result, the number of the big cats that people kill in Texas is one of the highest in the country. A recent study shows that mountain lion populations are declining in the state. The small population living in southern Texas suffers from declining genetic diversity and risk of local extinction.

Wildlife Services’ killing of mountain lions also poses grave threats to state-protected black bears. Data collected by Texas shows that multiple black bears have been killed by traps set for mountain lions. But Wildlife Services has never analyzed risks to black bears from its killing of mountain lions in these districts. It also fails to analyze risks to bears from deadly, indiscriminate M-44 cyanide bombs, even though Texas has the highest rate of M-44 use in the country.

A thorough assessment of the dangers to black bears and mountain lions posed by Wildlife Services’ wildlife killing is especially critical considering other pressing threats. Ongoing border wall construction can injure resident bears and lions by destroying and fragmenting habitat. Impeding natural movement inhibits their ability to find food, mates and other resources.

“Studies show that carnivores are ecologically vital, and Texans want to see these majestic creatures continue to exist and thrive in the state,” said DiBenedetto. “The government should focus on protecting sensitive populations who are facing other environmental threats like border wall construction, rather than sinking more taxpayer dollars into killing them.”

Today’s lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division.