California

Dan Richards, the president of the California Fish and Game Commission is in the political line of fire after a photo of him and a dead mountain lion was posted online.

Nannette Miranda has more on the controversial photo and an effort to remove Richards from his job.

These rescued mountain lions are living out their days at the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary.  Since 1990, it has been illegal to hunt them under voter- approved Proposition 117.

But it is this photo Western Outdoor News' website that's getting animal rights activists angry and creating a buzz on social media: the President of the state's Fish and Game Commission, Dan Richards, holding a mountain lion he recently hunted.

It's not legal to bring it back to California.

The San Bernardino County Republican was appointed by then Governor Schwarzenegger in 2008 but only became President recently on a
questionable 2 to 0 vote.

Humane Society of the U.S. Jennifer Fearing said, "No big surprise they would be revolted at the image of our top Fish and Game Commissioner trophy hunting and taking a mountain lion with a big smile on his face."

Fearing, "It's sort of equivalent to a drug czar heading off to a foreign country where drug use is legal, participating and posting pictures on the internet."

Neither Richards nor the Fish and Game Commission wanted to comment.  The Mountain Lion Foundation says it has been fielding numerous
emails and calls.  The non-profit helped get Prop 117 on the ballot ... and is among the organizations calling for Richards to resign.

Mountain Lion Foundation Tim Dunbar said, "Californians trust the Fish and Game Department and their commissioners to be protectors of wildlife resources... and this person is showing he doesn't really care."

Richards has been pushing to expand hunting and often clashes with animal rights and environmental groups.  But the California Outdoor Heritage Alliance doesn't think Richards should resign ... after all it is legal to hunt mountain lions in Idaho.