First Cougar seen in Kentucky Since Civil War Killed

Enough to make a wild cat lover sick!!!


http://www.wbir.com/story/news/nation-n ... /20536509/

Joe

"When the officer responded, he found the animal trapped up a tree by a barking dog and decided it was best to "dispatch it."" - what a bummer.

Just stupid. By the reasoning they use every large dog should be killed. Actually more people are killed by other people than any animal, so any stray person wandering around should be shot on sight. Are you going to let your children wait in the dark with dangerous humans lurking about?

Yes, a poor reason this officer gives…and IMO not the actual reason.

The mountain lion is expanding Eastward.

Historically, I believe the Mountain Lion, Cougar, or Puma (Felis concolor) ranged over almost the entire North American continent (excepting extreme northern Canada), including throughout Central America and at least over western South America…I think this included that mountain ridge in western South America (where it still lives in this remoteness).

I believe that the Mountain Lion has a larger home range than any other native NA apex predator.  Males can range enormous distances.  These new sightings/killings are likely hapless young cats just looking for a place to call home.  It is sad.

Isn't there a well-publicized Mountain Lion that has decided that Los Angeles-and-surroundings are its home and is still "hanging on"  there?   I hope so.

And doesn't the Endangered Species Act apply to this?
To at least give this cat some protection and positive press…the USFWS should have already declared the Mountain Lion endangered in all of its "new" range, which of course, is its former range.  Or has the Service declared it endangered in all those areas it is expanding into?  

Law Suit?
So regarding this….why has not one of the non-profit wildlife organizations already filed a law suit against the Service for not declaring it endangered in these "new" areas…and at least trying to give it protection and good press?  Or has this happened?   Does anyone know?

Robert King
http://itsaboutnature.net

It's not on the Endangered Species list because it is considered to be all one species. I'm surprised the Florida Panther was ever listed.

Not only is it not listed, here in the great state of Texas it has ZERO protection. It's not even a game species. You can kill as many as you want, whenever you want, however you want. It has the same legal status as cockroaches.

Oh...I see

For clarification on all of this....I found and e-mailed The Mountain Lion Foundation (in Sacramento) last night.  Encouraged them to enter our thread here.  Hope that we hear from them.  

http://www.mountainlion.org/


Robert

It sucks and wish they could have chosen the other option (which would have taken awhile based on what the person was saying). They gave a reason for shooting it. It was getting dark and a populated area was nearby.  While adults may not have been as at risk, small kids playing or walking home or pets in the area may have been at risk.  I suppose they decided the risk was too great in case it ran away before someone could come by with a tranquilizer dart.

In the end, the conservation officer had maybe just the one choice.  Let the cougar stay in the tree and hope it doesn't make a desperate run for it?  If it ran, who knows what may have happened.  All heck could have broken loose.  Did he want to take a chance that it could have posed an imminent danger to people living nearby?  I am not sure anyone would want that on their conscience.  If that cougar had run, what a mess it might have created (having to alert the nearby city, may not find the cat for days, etc.).  And the possibility that such a rare animal for the area may actually have been a captive that had escaped.