Rare Mountain Lion Killed in KY

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I don't get this? I'm not a member of PETA, and I wouldn't think anything of this if it were a deer, rabbit, etc. This cat hasn't been seen in the state for 150 years, so lets kill it? At least wait until it's guilty of something. If it starts messing with livestock/pets, relocate it. If it start messing with people, then kill it.


http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/12/19/off...tcmp=latestnews

A Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife officer reportedly shot and killed a mountain lion on a Bourbon County farm this week, marking the first confirmed sighting of a mountain lion in the state since before the Civil War.

Mark Marraccini, a spokesman for the agency, said a farmer discovered the animal in a tree Monday and alerted the department, The Courier-Journal reported.

When the officer responded, he found the giant cat trapped in another tree by a barking dog and decided to "dispatch it," according to the newspaper.

Marraccini told the newspaper it was nearing dark when the mountain lion was found and that the officer was concerned it might escape into the night and harm people in a nearby city.

Mountain lions were once native to Kentucky but were killed off about 150 years ago.
 
A lot of times, the officer who responds will pose the question to the property owner... "Want me to shoot it?"

And then the property owner gets to make that decision. And if the property owner has livestock or chilldren... well... you know what the answer will be.
 
There have been some sighted in Indiana too.

Other places in the nation have wicked predators too such as bears, wolves, alligators, rattle snakes and Burmese pythons (non native evasive species..) so killing something simply because its a big meat eater doesn't makes sense to me.
 
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I agree; sometimes we are all too quick to kill an animal when it could be left alone to go about its business. Obviously, no one wants to be attacked by a mountain lion, but who is invading the other's territory--the cat or the humans?

I am also not a member of PETA and hunt regularly, but I find some of our actions towards the animal population to be without thought.
 
Typical law enforcement response. Little bit surprised it was a Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife officer however maybe a hick with a badge.
 
They couldn't have tried to catch it? If it was too much for the police to trap then hire a pro? I guess that's expecting too much.
 
afaik, The official position of our game and fish people is that none exist in our state.

But people are seeing them.

With big populations of hog and deer, it seems logical they would be expanding their range again.
 
Mountain lions are bad news years ago when people had common sense they hunted mountain lions and wolves almost out of existence for a reason.
 
Nothing good can be said about this incident and it is indicative of our interaction with our environment.

Marraccini, a spokesman for Kentucky's wildlife agency stated "You going to let your kids wait for the school bus in the dark?", implying the risks of having mountain lions roaming the state.

If memory serves, there have been about 2 dozen human deaths from mountain lions over the past century.

In contrast, in the decade 2000 to 2009, there have been about 240 pedestrian school children deaths associated with school vehicles (buses).

One of my most memorable lessons in college was due a professor that "forced" us to read A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold. I encourage everyone to at least read the condensed Wikipedia version.
 
Originally Posted By: CT8
Mountain lions are bad news years ago when people had common sense they hunted mountain lions and wolves almost out of existence for a reason.


Makes no sense. By your logic, you must be terrified every time you drive your car? Are you terrified to walk your neighborhood because of dogs (they kill MANY more humans than mountain lions)?
 
There are mountain lions in the city of Colorado Springs; many have reported them in my neighborhood. My neighbor across the street claims there was one on his roof 2 years ago. No one has been mauled by one; you're statistically more likely to get injured Christmas shopping than by a cougar attack.

That guy from the TV show Mountain Men who chases cougars off private property needs to train wildlife officers on how to deal with them non lethally.
 
Originally Posted By: CT8
Mountain lions are bad news years ago when people had common sense they hunted mountain lions and wolves almost out of existence for a reason.


Not sighted for 150 years and still in existence. Clearly this mountain lion and its ancestors from the last 150years have had NO HARM to anyone.
 
The typical range of a Mountain lion is over 150 square miles. Yes cougar attacks on humans are rare, but they are real. Trapping them to relocate has been highly unsuccessful as they are smart and weary. Is 1 living Mountain lion in your city or county worth the life of a child? I personally don't think so. If there are Mountain lions in an area where people live or visit frequently an attack will occur sooner or later. Just my 2¢
 
Ah yes.... "Just think of the children". Lets kill every potential predator on the off chance that little Timmy will get eaten.
 
Originally Posted By: InhalingBullets
The typical range of a Mountain lion is over 150 square miles. Yes cougar attacks on humans are rare, but they are real. Trapping them to relocate has been highly unsuccessful as they are smart and weary. Is 1 living Mountain lion in your city or county worth the life of a child? I personally don't think so. If there are Mountain lions in an area where people live or visit frequently an attack will occur sooner or later. Just my 2¢

My take on large predators around my place or in general, is that if they are easy to shoot, then they need to be shot. Once they start to feel comfortable around people to show themselves and study us, they will see that we are really an easy food source and then its only a matter of time before one gets hungry/sick enough to risk an attack for easy meat.
I do see bear signs in our woods, but its away from house and they leave our dogs and farm animals alone. If they start coming close though, then it would be time to get rid of that one.
 
Originally Posted By: InhalingBullets
The typical range of a Mountain lion is over 150 square miles. Yes cougar attacks on humans are rare, but they are real. Trapping them to relocate has been highly unsuccessful as they are smart and weary. Is 1 living Mountain lion in your city or county worth the life of a child? I personally don't think so. If there are Mountain lions in an area where people live or visit frequently an attack will occur sooner or later. Just my 2¢


They tag and trap bears in our city all the time, and relocate them to the mountains. I think they've done it with one mountain lion as well. It's pretty stupid to just shoot them all on site. "oh the children" arguments are absurd.
 
Originally Posted By: The_Eric
Ah yes.... "Just think of the children". Lets kill every potential predator on the off chance that little Timmy will get eaten.


I have been swatting at mosquitoes all day.

Live a good, full life, Timmy!
 
Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
Originally Posted By: InhalingBullets
The typical range of a Mountain lion is over 150 square miles. Yes cougar attacks on humans are rare, but they are real. Trapping them to relocate has been highly unsuccessful as they are smart and weary. Is 1 living Mountain lion in your city or county worth the life of a child? I personally don't think so. If there are Mountain lions in an area where people live or visit frequently an attack will occur sooner or later. Just my 2¢


They tag and trap bears in our city all the time, and relocate them to the mountains. I think they've done it with one mountain lion as well. It's pretty stupid to just shoot them all on site. "oh the children" arguments are absurd.


Yes BEARS are trapped all the time, however I think your reading comprehension needs some sharpening. I said trapping Mountain Lions has been highly unsuccessful. Did I say one thing about shooting them all...nope. But you read that into it didn't you?
 
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