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Young Adult Male Mountain Lion Shot and Killed in Residential Neighborhood in Kearney Nebraska

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Maru Kitteh Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-09-11 02:42 PM
Original message
Young Adult Male Mountain Lion Shot and Killed in Residential Neighborhood in Kearney Nebraska
Edited on Mon May-09-11 02:52 PM by Maru Kitteh
This happened about 3 blocks from my house. I find it all very unfortunate. I don't know if it was necessary or not, but I do know that I would not want to live in a world without wild things - and it was a beautiful cat.

http://www.kearneyhub.com/news/local/article_512f850c-7a5f-11e0-9391-001cc4c002e0.html
http://www.nebraska.tv/story/14598648/mt-lion-killed-in-kearney



:-(
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TheWraith Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-09-11 02:45 PM
Response to Original message
1. Poor cat.
I don't know the area, but it's a shame.
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Maru Kitteh Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-09-11 02:49 PM
Response to Reply #1
5. Yes it is. I would have vastly preferred a less primitive way of dealing with the poor thing.
Of course you can't have a large predator roaming the streets of town but neither should destruction be our only answer.
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Brickbat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-09-11 02:46 PM
Response to Original message
2. If a mountain lion is in a residential neighborhood, then yes, it's probably necessary.
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blueamy66 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-09-11 10:28 PM
Response to Reply #2
23. But who was there first?
The mountain lions or the humans?
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franzia99 Donating Member (479 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 12:26 AM
Response to Reply #23
29. So it should get to eat her if someone can prove moutain lions settled that area first?
The article said the mountain lion was about to attack her.
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shoutinfreud Donating Member (151 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 02:39 AM
Response to Reply #23
32. Probably humans. Ever heard of natives?
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blueamy66 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 06:40 AM
Response to Reply #32
44. No.
What's a native?
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Brickbat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 06:36 AM
Response to Reply #23
43. I don't believe that matters.
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PufPuf23 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 05:30 AM
Response to Reply #2
42. I live in a small residential neighborhood that is a National Forest inholding.
On more than one occasion my dogs or nearby dogs treed cougars (also called panthers or mountain lions) in my yard. The solution was to secure the dogs so the cats felt safe to come down and leave, there may be learned behavior in be treed and be shot.

My grandfather and father were houndsmen that hunted panther for bounty in the 1920s and 1930s.

I live in the area of California where mountain lions are most prevalent and do not know a local (60% plus Indian) that worry about mountain lion attacks nor do I know of a local injury from mountain lion attack in nearly 60 years of life.
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Rex Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-09-11 02:48 PM
Response to Original message
3. That is sad, but if the big cat was hungry he could easily kill a person.
Not saying that was going to happen...sad they didn't have an ACO with a trancgun.
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Maru Kitteh Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-09-11 02:58 PM
Response to Reply #3
7. They're not prepared for that here I think. We've never had a confirmed mt. lion in the area before

A few sightings, but never any proof. No photos, scat, etc. We are on the great plains and have not generally regarded ourselves as being big cat territory. This is what it looks like here:
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Rex Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-09-11 10:17 PM
Response to Reply #7
21. True, that is why they shot him imo.
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RUMMYisFROSTED Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-09-11 02:49 PM
Response to Original message
4. That header should be the first paragraph.
Signed, the Editor
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Liberal_in_LA Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-09-11 02:50 PM
Response to Original message
6. sad
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hlthe2b Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-09-11 03:02 PM
Response to Original message
8. Sad... Sometimes necessary but IMO should rarely be the outcome
Then again, I think wildlife impact statements should be the requirement for new development into previously forested or wilderness areas, just as environmental impact statements are required for commercial development. I know every RWer, Libertarian and a fair share of liberal/progressives will ridicule me for that, but I sincerely believe we have that responsbility.
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RaleighNCDUer Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-09-11 03:06 PM
Response to Original message
9. Kearney is a LONG way from cat country.
I wonder if it was an escaped/released exotic pet.
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Maru Kitteh Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-09-11 03:12 PM
Response to Reply #9
11. They actually seem to be moving into the area. Shame the only way we've prepared ourselves to deal
with it is destruction.
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franzia99 Donating Member (479 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 04:03 AM
Response to Reply #11
35. What's the back story on them moving in. Are people allowed to hunt them?
Be careful. Some people say they've gotten more aggressive as a result of hunting bans b/c they don't learn to fear humans.
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maxsolomon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-09-11 03:07 PM
Response to Original message
10. Nope, not neccessary.
Tranqs would have worked in due time, but people freak out. A scared cat is not going to pounce on someone's baby - he's looking to hide.

He's just looking for his own territory.

We had 1 right in Seattle 2 years ago - it got away, and so far no babies have been snatched.
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RamboLiberal Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-09-11 04:03 PM
Response to Reply #10
16. Still probably better to take out the mountain lion
For the safety of people and pets. I sure wouldn't want to lose my pet to one. And though rare they have attacked people. I still remember the story of one in CA who killed a male mountain biker then maimed the head and face of a female biker.
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maxsolomon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-09-11 04:27 PM
Response to Reply #16
18. in a suburban context
that cat is looking to get away. if you shot it with tranquilizer darts instead of bullets, it would not have attacked a mountain biker or a pet or a baby in the interim.

but cops don't carry tranquilizer darts.
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RamboLiberal Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-09-11 04:42 PM
Response to Reply #18
20. I can't blame the cops - too bad they couldn't get wildlife officials
Edited on Mon May-09-11 04:43 PM by RamboLiberal
in to trap or tranquilize. We get black bears lately that wander in and they usually trap them using donuts. There was one ahole officer who shot about a year old bear cause there were spectators around. The spectators were pissed. Bear wasn't even that close to them and was only looking to escape.
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WatsonT Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-09-11 10:45 PM
Response to Reply #10
26. Indeed, large terrified predators are never a threat to anyone
:eyes:
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maxsolomon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-11-11 10:29 AM
Response to Reply #26
47. i didn't say never. and there's a difference between a cougar and a grizzly.
:eyes: yourself.

the cat in Seattle i mentioned was tracked and hunted through several urban neighborhoods, no one got pounced on, not one got killed. it ran away like a scared pussy cat.

SOMETIMES they are a threat. usually, they are not.
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WatsonT Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-11-11 01:26 PM
Response to Reply #47
48. Cougars are pretty damn big
certainly enough to kill a human.

And there are plenty of drunk drivers who make it home safely every night.

Doesn't mean it's wrong to pull over and arrest the ones we find.
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franzia99 Donating Member (479 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 04:05 AM
Response to Reply #10
36. The cop said he was about to pounce on her.
Unless we have reason to think she's lying she did what she had to.
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pnwmom Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-09-11 03:37 PM
Response to Original message
12. The mothers in your neighborhood are safer pushing strollers now.
Mountain lions don't belong in human neighborhoods.
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Maru Kitteh Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-09-11 03:38 PM
Response to Reply #12
13. Destruction shouldn't be our only answer. n/t
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pnwmom Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-09-11 03:48 PM
Response to Reply #12
14. Tell that to the mountain lion.
Edited on Mon May-09-11 03:50 PM by pnwmom
Even in nature, populations get out of balance. If there isn't enough food for the mountain lion population, then they risk a slow death by starvation. If the mountain lion population is too large, getting shot is a relatively painless death.
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progressoid Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 09:35 AM
Response to Reply #14
46. You have that backwards.

Around here there is an abundance of food for mountain lions. Deer, turkeys, etc are at an all time high.

Even the city has been giving bow hunting licenses to hunt deer in public parks and cemeteries (after hours) because the population is so high.
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blueamy66 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-09-11 10:30 PM
Response to Reply #12
24. How about..."Humans shouldn't be building there god awful
houses in the mountain lions' neighborhood?"

When will humans learn that if you build your McMansion in the outskirts of town, you run the risk of meeting up with wildlife.

It sickens me to hear when wild animals are shot because humans have encroached upon their territory.
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WatsonT Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-09-11 10:46 PM
Response to Reply #24
27. People should only build in areas that have always been 100% free of wildlife
so they can feel morally superior.

Places like . . . active volcanoes and space.
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blueamy66 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-09-11 10:52 PM
Response to Reply #27
28. Not sure what you mean, but....
if you build a home in the outskirts of town, where there are wild animals, please don't bitch if you encounter a javelina or a coyote in your backyard. And please don't shoot them.

Do you get what I am saying?
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shoutinfreud Donating Member (151 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 02:50 AM
Response to Reply #28
34. Sorry, but cougars generally stay away, this one was there for a purpose
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franzia99 Donating Member (479 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 04:18 AM
Response to Reply #34
39. Probably hunger.
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franzia99 Donating Member (479 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 04:17 AM
Response to Reply #28
38. Idk about that. If they eat that homeowner pretty soon they'll be coming into town for 2nds and 3rds
After learning how easy it is to overpower us physically weak humans.
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WatsonT Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 09:24 AM
Response to Reply #28
45. Every point where people built is "on the outskirts of town"
at one point or another.

Only difference is that where you live people were more thorough in exterminating the wild life.

Like complaining that we shouldn't build too close to "indian land" nowadays.

Bit late for that.
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AngryAmish Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-11-11 01:30 PM
Response to Reply #24
49. Roscoe Village, perfect example.
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REP Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-09-11 04:01 PM
Response to Original message
15. We're moving to an area with a lot of mountain lion activity - my husband wants to put out feeders!
Well, not really since it'd mess with with their ecology, but I'm pretty sure the only shooting that will be done will be through a zoom lens. Move into a redwood forest, expect mountain lions as neighbors.
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kestrel91316 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-09-11 04:27 PM
Response to Original message
17. Time to start using rubber bullets on mountain lions. We need to teach them to
fear humans again, for their safety and ours. They are cats, after all. They ARE capable of learning, and they don't like being annoyed. If you annoy them enough, they will leave. If you teach them to fear humans but don't kill them outright, you still have a world with beautiful creatures in it, but you don't have to live in such fear of them because they are MORE afraid of YOU.

Problems started here in CA when they quit hunting them. I don't advocate killing them if they aren't getting into trouble. I DO advocate teaching them to fear humans.
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RebelOne Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-09-11 04:28 PM
Response to Original message
19. Yes, it is very sad. Human encroachment, such as
construction of shopping malls and housing developments have driven these poor animal out of their natural habitat.
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blueamy66 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-09-11 10:32 PM
Response to Reply #19
25. Amen.
If you build a house in the wilderness, you just may encounter the wilderness.

Humans are assholes sometimes.
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flvegan Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-09-11 10:24 PM
Response to Original message
22. Shame that an animal in retreat was targeted for termination.
God fucking forbid, you trigger happy fearful fucking idiots.
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shoutinfreud Donating Member (151 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 02:41 AM
Response to Reply #22
33. Uh, speaking as someone who grew up in an area with these cats
I can tell you it's sad, but unavoidable. These things go after children, this one was going after an adult. If it did it once, it'll do it again.

We had bears and cougars in the neighbourhood where I was a kid. Bears we left alone, we didn't bother them and vice-versa, but when it came to cougars there was no messing around.
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franzia99 Donating Member (479 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 04:20 AM
Response to Reply #33
40. Thank you. In one place where I lived they'd occasionally eat hikers.
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franzia99 Donating Member (479 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 12:27 AM
Response to Original message
30. Mountain lions kill humans. The article said it was about to pounce on her. It's sad, but sounds
like it was necessary according to what she said.
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Lursa CB Donating Member (29 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 01:21 AM
Response to Reply #30
31. Very sad, but not normal behavior for a cougar
Not that I really expect a cop to be able to decipher a big cat's intentions....all she needed to do was back off. (And I've been upclose and personal with a cougar....an amazing experience!)

OTOH, they did need to remove the cat from the area. A cougar in good physical condition wouldnt have been there to begin with. His presence there indicated that he was a danger...a normal cougar will avoid people and human habitations.

He may have been pushed out of other areas by other cougars or development and looking for easy meals...pets. Or he may have had parasites that affected his brain. I wont say rabies, but they'll likely test the cat for that and a few things.

signed,
ex-park ranger
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franzia99 Donating Member (479 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 04:12 AM
Response to Reply #31
37. Some people are saying that b/c of hunting bans cougars learn to not fear people.
That these various predators were only afraid of us back when people shot them regularly. If you think about it, what reason would a cougar have to fear people, especially children? We're substantially weaker than them and I don't think a mountain lion would ever be fooled into fearing a small child.
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RebelOne Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-11-11 01:35 PM
Response to Reply #37
50. What do you mean? Hunters still shoot them regularly. n/t
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PufPuf23 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 05:20 AM
Response to Original message
41. Probably no necessity to kill a young healthy cougar.
The danger is if the wild animal develops bad habits (attacks) or lurks close to humans on a permanent basis.
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