Lions in the News Look here for articles, opinions, and editorials about mountain lions and the Mountain Lion Foundation. (Click on link to see full article) Date Article 7/2/2009 More mountain lion hunting allowed in new SD rules Just five years ago South Dakota's mountain lions - previously considered endangered by wildlife experts - were allowed to be hunted for sport. The state Game, Fish & Parks Department is not only continuing this ridiculous hunting season, but just yesterday voted to increase it by 67%. The new quota will allow a drastic increase in the number of females killed, which will very likely increase the number of orphaned cubs during next year's season. There was no logical explanation given by the GFP for increasing the quota. Claims of increasing public safety or prey species numbers are not backed by any scientific research; they are excuses given by people who want to shoot lions for fun. To read the actual news story click here... 7/1/2009 Wildlife summit focuses on supposed mountain lion problem As a result of MLF's challenge to all the outrageous accusations about mountain lions threatening the extinction of California's deer herd, the San Benito County Fish & Game Advisory Commission is holding a meeting to discuss the matter. What started out as a San Benito County issue has now grown to include concerned parties from neighboring Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. MLF's Executive Director, Tim Dunbar, will attend the session to hopefully set the record straight on mountain lions and Proposition 117. MLF's effort to provide the public with the truth is becoming increasingly important as a result of news articles - such as this one - which present a clear anti-mountain lion bias. To read the actual news story click here... 6/28/2009 Mountain lion season on GF&P agenda This Wednesday, July 1st, South Dakota's Game, Fish & Parks Commission will meet to finalize their decision of nearly doubling the quota for the next mountain lion hunting season. With little public input and no science supporting any benefits from sport hunting lions, it is unclear why the Commission feels the need to increase the quota. To read the actual news story click here... 6/26/2009 Climate Bill Critique & Panther Habitat The Environment Report (radio station) featured a discussion on climate change and then the status of the Florida panther. The clip talks about their limited habitat and other issues threatening the species with extinction. The panther section begins about 1:10 into the segment. To read the actual news story click here... 6/23/2009 What would you do if you saw a mountain lion? Often times newspapers sensationalize mountain lion encounters and give these cats a bad reputation simply for the sake of an exciting article. Stories that give the facts and explain basic biology and behavior about mountain lions, reassuring people they're not in imminent danger, are rare. But in this case, Dianne Erskine-Hellrige did her research and hopefully will help readers better understand this mysterious cat and "how to safely share the habitat." To read the actual news story click here... 6/23/2009 Cougars aren't to blame: expert A rancher in Ontario was convinced he had been losing cattle to a mountain lion. After the story appeared in the local papers few times, the president of the Ontario Puma Conservation and a Natural Resources biologist personally visited the property. The way the calves had been killed and all tracks in the area pointed to coyotes as the culprit, not a mountain lion. Southern Ontario does not have a known resident population of mountain lions according to the Ministry of Natural Resources. To read the actual news story click here... 6/23/2009 "I Swear it was a Black Panther..." The majority of mountain lion sightings are false. Usually people are actually seeing house cats, dogs, bobcats, or coyotes. In West Virginia, Chris Lawrence suggests maybe people have been seeing fishers instead. This small mammal is in the same family as weasels and badgers, with a muscular feline-type build and a long fluffy tail very similar to that of a mountain lion. After looking at photos of fishers, it is very easy to see how people could mistake these critters for black panthers. To read the actual news story click here... 6/22/2009 Officials defend eco-passage Florida officials received criticism for their under-freeway wildlife tunnels plan which would provide a linkage for wildlife as well as protect motorists on the road. Out of state legislators argued it would be a waste of money, while Kevin Thibault from the Department of Transportation said that spending $3.4 million on wildlife projects out of their $1.35 billion account didn't seem too outrageous. Big cities all over the country - such as Santa Monica, California - are trying to find ways to help migrating and large ranged species like deer and mountain lions, while staying within the state's budget. To read the actual news story click here... 6/19/2009 Petaluma cougar cubs redeem their image The two 9-month old cougar cubs who were found months back injured and orphaned are doing well in their Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue home. Unable to be returned to the wild, their large habitat is the next best thing and will give them a chance to provide education for local communities while they relax in their comfortable enclosure. The Wildlife Rescue hopes to calm people's fears and raise awareness about the issues facing mountain lions in the wild. To read the actual news story click here... 6/19/2009 Orphaned cougar cub joins NEW Zoo Attendance soars at the NEW (Northeastern Wisconsin) Zoo as families hope to catch a glimpse of Gillin, an orphaned cougar from Oregon. The two month old cub will join seven year old female "BB" in the zoo's display enclosure in about a month. BB is very social and the staff believes the two cougars will get along just fine. See the article for pictures of Gillin and for admission information go to newzoo.org. To read the actual news story click here... 6/18/2009 Hunters Are Depleting Lion And Cougar Populations, Study Finds Although state agencies respond to pressure from livestock owners and hunting enthusiasts by increasing the quotas on mountain lions, a recent study shows killing an adult male may reduce the lion population by more than just that one individual. Management policies should take into account the complex dynamics between adults and cubs. Intense sport hunting without fully understanding the species may result in depleting their population beyond recovery. To read the actual news story click here... 6/18/2009 6 Steps to a Predator-Proof Home Similar to MLF's 4 Simple Steps to Help Mountain Lions by Keeping Your Pets and Livestock Safe, Popular Mechanics has published their advice on predator proofing your yard and ways to avoid conflicts with lions, alligators and bears. Clearing brush and securely concealing garbage are two of the easiest and most effective ways to prevent unwanted critters from being attracted to your property. To read the actual news story click here... 6/17/2009 Montana Hunters Want Decrease in Lions, Wolves and Bears On Thursday, June 25th, Montana's Fish Wildlife & Parks Commission will meet to increase the lion hunting quota because supposedly "the big cat population is reaching troublesome levels." Lion population numbers are extremely difficult to estimate and sightings generally only indicate a larger population of people, not lions. The FWP admits they would like to see an increase in the number of elk and deer (to increase their quotas as well) and believe reducing natural predation by bears, wolves and lions will yield higher hunting bag limits in the state. Voice your opinion to Montana's FWP. To read the actual news story click here... 6/16/2009 Close encounters: Riverside County woman played it smart in mountain lion confrontation Over the weekend a mountain lion wandered into a Riverside County (southern California) garage and was cornered by three tiny but fearless Chihuahuas. The spooked lion was captured on video footage by owner Analee Spray who took all the right steps by staying safe, calling 911 and waiting for officials to arrive. The Fish & Game warden attempted to harass the lion away by shooting it with rubber bullets. It began to leave the area, but then appeared to turn on the warden and this unfortunate circumstance forced him to kill the lion. MLF is continuing to stay on top of this story and confirm news reports. We will keep you updated. To read the actual news story click here... 6/14/2009 Lion research continues in Black Hills South Dakota's Game Fish & Parks Department has been radio collaring mountain lions for the past ten years. The state relisted the status of the lion from endangered to a trophy hunted species during that time. There are currently 75 collared lions and GF&P predicts there are about 250 total within the Black Hills. On July 1st they will hold their final meeting to determine the hunting quota for 2010, currently set to be 40 lions (significantly increased from the 2009 limit). To read the actual news story click here... 6/14/2009 What would you do if you saw a mountain lion? Often times newspapers sensationalize mountain lion encounters and give these cats a bad reputation simply for the sake of an exciting article. Stories that give the facts and explain basic biology and behavior about mountain lions, reassuring people they're not in imminent danger, are rare. But in this case, Dianne Erskine-Hellrige did her research and hopefully will help readers better understand this mysterious cat and "how to safely share the habitat." To read the actual news story click here... 6/13/2009 Mountain Lion Captured In Eagle Mountain Neighborhood A young girl in Eagle Mountain, Utah, was surprised to see what she thought was a dog, fall into a basement window well. The "dog" was actually a frightened cougar. When officials showed up the cat ran (see video footage) but was tracked down, tranquilized, and relocated away from town. Neighbors said they are aware they live in mountain lion country and are willing to take the necessary steps to live along side these large felines. To read the actual news story click here... 6/12/2009 Panther fight kills female panther, officials say On Friday a female Florida panther was found dead in the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge. Researchers believe she was killed by another panther. Being solitary and requiring a large territory can lead to panthers killing each other for habitat and competition of resources. There are less than 100 panthers left in the wild and unfortunately there doesn't appear to be enough space in Florida for even this small group. To read the actual news story click here... 6/11/2009 Livestock Guard Dogs are Reducing Predation by Cougars Using specially bred livestock guard dogs to keep domestic herds safe is an animal husbandry technique that has been around for centuries. Ranchers in California's Amador County are now realizing this tradition may be the way to go. These specialized guard dogs are proving to be very effective in reducing livestock losses to mountain lions and other predators like coyotes and domestic dogs. The Great Pyrenees is highlighted as one rancher's favorite breed of livestock guard dog. To read the actual news story click here... 6/10/2009 Map: Where the Mountain Lions Live in the Santa Monica Mountains For the dozen or so lions living in the Santa Monica Mountains in southern California, life is dangerous and appears to have all the drama of a dark soap opera. Spouses fighting, children being chased off by a violent father, and mystery bachelors moving into the area just scratches the surface of all the information gathered by the National Park Service since 2002. Many of the collared lions have been killed in recent years but the NPS continues to track and monitor the lions in this range as well as their shrinking habitat. To read the actual news story click here... 6/9/2009 $15,000 Reward To Find Panther Killer A $15,000 reward is being offered for help convicting the person(s) who killed a Florida panther in April just outside the Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida. The fewer than 100 Florida panthers left in the wild are protected under the Endangered Species Act; shooting one is a felony and would result in some hefty fines and jail time. If you have any relevant information, please contact the US Fish & Wildlife Service's Office of Law Enforcement at 239 561-8144 or the anonymous tip line at 888 404-3922. To read the actual news story click here... 6/6/2009 GF&P wants to allow even-larger harvest of lions Last Friday, South Dakota's Game, Fish & Parks Commission met to discuss the 2010 mountain lion hunting season. With little input from the community, the group gave in to Commissioner Tim Kessler and hunting advocates' requests. They decided to nearly double the hunting quota, allowing 25 female lions or 40 total to be killed. The Commission will take comments until July 1st when the final quota will be set. Please contact GF&P to voice your opinion. To read the actual news story click here... 6/5/2009 Mountain (Lion) Man Bill Applegate traps and kills mountain lions in Texas for private land owners. He has killed hundreds of lions on his own, including 14 of the 21 lions the State collared for a population study. Predators account for less than 7% of livestock losses in Texas, and mountain lions make up only a fraction of those kills. Attempting to exterminate lions is a cruel and unsuccessful form of livestock protection. To read the actual news story click here... 6/3/2009 Game and Fish moves mountain lion from Powell On Sunday morning, neighbors in a Wyoming community were surprised to find a mountain lion visiting their backyards. The two year old male appeared to be comfortable lounging in Barb Perrine's tree when she went out to water her flowers in the morning. After calling 911, police, Game and Fish, sheriff, and Powell animal control officers quickly responded and were on the scene ready to help. They were able to tranquilize the lion and transport him safely away from town. To read the actual news story click here... 5/31/2009 Boulder County man shoots, kills mountain lion In Boulder, Colorado a man shot and killed a mountain lion on his property on Sunday. He will not face charges however since he reported the lion was going after his dog. It appeared the lion had previously killed a deer and cashed it on his property and was likely going back to feed on the carcass. The lion had previously been tagged as part of a study. To read the actual news story click here... Next Page >>

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