wrote in message
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On Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:19:12 -0800, "nom=de=plume"
wrote:
Perhaps if the sweet little human child had parents who had an ounce of
sense, the child wouldn't get eaten.
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Nom=de=Plume
Bull. We have had more deaths from mountain lions in the last 5 years,
than in the previous 100 years. Sort of like Sea Lions. No reason to
be
a protected species. Overpopulated now, and dieing of starvation, etc.
The deer herds are being decimated my lions, as well as the Big Horn
sheep. When they were hunted, they were never in danger of being on the
Endangerd species list, and they were controlled in numbers and kept
away
from man.
?? You're claiming that mountain lions are targeting kids? You're a fool.
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Cats, any cat, will kill anything they can catch and overpower.
Sometime that is not even because they are hungry, just bored. A child
just looks like a raccoon or a lamb to them. It is moving and it is
small enough to kill.
You folks have problems with them attacking a jogger now and then too.
Yes, they will if given an opportunity and they're hungry. They mostly avoid
humans, even joggers, but it's worth being cautious, esp. if you're not too
big to begin with.
As for Loogie's question, when they could claim the whole country as
their territory, about the only thing that limited their population
was the available food supply and the amount of territory each cat
claimed. Behind cars, the biggest cause of death for our panthers is
being killed by another panther. I suppose if everyone would move
back east of the Sierras the cats could have California and fight it
out until they had a stabile population. Unfortunately people do
choose to live there, farm and raise livestock so they can't let
nature take its normal path.
I always think it is funny when city folks do get a bear or other big
predator (even as small as a coyote) wandering through their
neighborhood. Suddenly all of that "live and let live" stuff goes out
the window and they want the predator gone.
Dangerous wildlife is like wind turbines. Everyone likes them until
they have one in their back yard.
We see bear, coyote, and the occasional (rare) ML, among many other
creatures. I don't really have a backyard in the sense of a fenced one. I
have a big garden with very high fencing, but I figure whatever can get in
there (e.g., rabbits) can eat what they want.
The only real concern I have is for my cat, but it hasn't been a problem so
far. Some people freak when deer eat their roses. I have no problem with it.
I had a buck sitting under a tree for a 1/2 day a couple of years ago. It
was kinda cool. He acted like he belonged, eyed the cat when approached, but
that was about it. I walked within about 15 feet of him, and he didn't move
or seem to care that much. I have a picture somewhere... I'll try and find
it.
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Nom=de=Plume