Mountain lion attack

[Mzilliox]

lots of responses, quite a range of ideas. interesting. I have very little sympathy for human eaten by animals. thats sort of how this all goes, life and stuff, and its good for humans to be reminded they are not always the top of the food chain or superior to every being they lay eyes on.

i have seen bear, coyote, cougars, and more on my rides, for me that is part of why i ride. Im fully aware of and willing to make that trade off, every time. anyone who thinks they stand a better chance vs humans and cars needs to think again. 1 death in 94 years in Washington by cat, vs how many cyclists have been hit by a car? yeah, i like my odds in the wild.

[colker]

Originally Posted by FlashUNC

I'm sure the last thought of someone being eaten is "man, I'm so lucky to be part of this majestic creature's experience."

LOL. MOnty Python could do this one.

[colker]

Originally Posted by p nut

I don't know if there is any dignity either way. You're either taken out by a teen bopper snapchatting, or end up as cat poop. But I'll take my chances in the woods, if it comes down to one or the other.

As soon as you hear the growl of the cat you will change your perspective.
Once i had the chance to shoot a video that involved one of those cats. A jaguar. A puppy. He was sleeping and left out of his cage. Suddenly he woke up and growled. I never ran so fast in my life.

[p nut]

Originally Posted by colker

As soon as you hear the growl of the cat you will change your perspective.
Once i had the chance to shoot a video that involved one of those cats. A jaguar. A puppy. He was sleeping and left out of his cage. Suddenly he woke up and growled. I never ran so fast in my life.

I have. I've been on cougar hunts (tagged along about 15 years ago. Beautiful creatures and was sorry when the guy shot it). And I swear, riding in the dark at 5am one morning a couple of years ago, I heard that same growl in the bushes about 15 yards off the trail. Freaky for sure. But I will still take my chances with that than the less-than-intimidating growl from a CX5.

[colker]

Originally Posted by Climb01742

Might there have been another way?

Could the mountain lion have been tranquilized and then tested to see, as they are now when it's dead, if it is the same cat that attacked?

If it wasn't, could the cat be relocated farther from a population center? Wolves are relocated. Could a mountain lion?

If it was the same cat that attacked, it could be put to sleep humanely or also relocated very far from people, possibly.

Kill first and ask questions/exlpore options later seems like the worst, knee-jerk response.

The animal deserved better. There's a human tragedy here. Compounding it by being too-quick-to-kill makes it worse. It isn't wrong to value all the lives involved in this. But kill first, ask questions later seems to be how we roll too often these days.

The lion was laying over the body of the man he just killed...

I understand preservation is a complex issue. I understand we should refrain from killing those animals which are threatened by civilization but once one of them stalks and kills a human being, it will be hunt and killed.
I believe in India they have a huge problem w/ villages bordering tiger territory. Once the animal kills a person, it is hunt and killed.

[Scuzzer]

Originally Posted by Climb01742

Might there have been another way?

Could the mountain lion have been tranquilized and then tested to see, as they are now when it's dead, if it is the same cat that attacked?

If it wasn't, could the cat be relocated farther from a population center? Wolves are relocated. Could a mountain lion?

I don't understand the hand wringing over this one animal. From the article posted by weisan this morning "(the state) allows 250 to be hunted in 50 designated zones". So it appears they allow up to 250 somewhat randomly killed mountain lions to be taken every year, why not allow 249 this year and then this one becomes #250.

I'd think if you're going to allow any to be shot that this one belongs on the top of the list.

[Climb01742]

This incident appears very grey to me. Without clear right and wrong answers. Yes, it's tragic someone died. But the riders were in the cat's territory. The cat did what mountain lions do.

If an apex predator walks into a suburban neighborhood, a fair response is, I think, that the predator is out of their territory and the 'rules' of the suburb apply. The predator is captured or killed.

Why isn't the opposite true? We ride into their territory. Whose rules should apply?

I'm not arguing for or against either side of this. Just that it's complex and as supposedly intelligent, humane beings, our first instinct shouldn't be, 'Kill it.'

I don't know enough about animal behavior to know for sure what the best response to this is. I admit that. But a relocation option should have at least have been considered, I think. I just can't buy this being cut and dry, grab the gun.

[p nut]

Originally Posted by Climb01742

This incident appears very grey to me. Without clear right and wrong answers. Yes, it's tragic someone died. But the riders were in the cat's territory. The cat did what mountain lions do.

If an apex predator walks into a suburban neighborhood, a fair response is, I think, that the predator is out of their territory and the 'rules' of the suburb apply. The predator is captured or killed.

Why isn't the opposite true? We ride into their territory. Whose rules should apply?

I'm not arguing for or against either side of this. Just that it's complex and as supposedly intelligent, humane beings, our first instinct shouldn't be, 'Kill it.'

I don't know enough about animal behavior to know for sure what the best response to this is. I admit that. But a relocation option should have at least have been considered, I think. I just can't buy this being cut and dry, grab the gun.

It's all our territory.

[earlfoss]

Loving all of the responses from zoologists and animal experts here.

[BryanE]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

Well, you typically don't die by being eaten, if a predator attacks they'll kill you first, then eat you. I'm sure there are worse ways to go than being attacked by a predator. Either way, unless you're cryogenically suspended, you'll get eaten by something after you die. If it isn't a big cat, it'll be microbes or worms.

Except Grizzlies.
The only predator that will be happy to eat first, kill later.
So I have read.

[joosttx]

Originally Posted by earlfoss

Loving all of the responses from zoologists and animal experts here.

<like>

[nighthawk]

Originally Posted by BryanE

Except Grizzlies.
The only predator that will be happy to eat first, kill later.
So I have read.

Actually brown bears will commonly kill prey and cache it, by burying and returning to eat it later. Also pretty adept at foraging plants/berries and scavenging carrion. Atleast the ones I lived around and worked with in Alaska.

[daker13]

Originally Posted by cnighbor1

I had a beer cross the road in front of me while riding fast down hill on the eastern side of the cascades in Washington. Little I could do but keep going To stop and go back up hill at 6 mph didn't seem like a great option

Charles Nighbor

Walnut Creek, California USA

Next time, I recommend stopping.

[Kirk007]

In a meeting with cougar specialists right now who are in communication with the incident team and will share more info/insights later today/tonight.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by Scuzzer

I don't understand the hand wringing over this one animal. From the article posted by weisan this morning "(the state) allows 250 to be hunted in 50 designated zones". So it appears they allow up to 250 somewhat randomly killed mountain lions to be taken every year, why not allow 249 this year and then this one becomes #250.

I'd think if you're going to allow any to be shot that this one belongs on the top of the list.

And why the 250 in the first place? Because their habitat has been shrunk in the name of ‘development’, along with shrinking herds of their primary food, deer. Either way, this animal’s death is on our hands and it’s a shame. Hunt a mountain lion? What on earth for? Killing for a trophy...NOT trying to skew this conversation but trophy killing, killing for entertainment is disgusting, IMHO. IMHO...so you trophy hunters, relax. K?