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Fish And Game President Gets Public Support Over Mountain Lion Killing Flap

RIVERSIDE (AP) — The president of the California Fish and Game Commission who is under fire for legally killing a mountain lion in Idaho is receiving overwhelming support during a public meeting in Riverside.

Dozens of people have spoken Wednesday at a commission meeting in favor of Dan Richards, who has recently been asked to resign by 40 California Democratic Assembly members and animal rights activists.

Richards, a Republican commercial real estate developer, appeared in a photo that shows him with a mountain lion he shot during a visit to Idaho. Richards has said he will not step down from his appointed position.

Hunting mountain lions is banned in California, though it's legal in Idaho and other states.

The meeting's public comment session is continuing.

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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