Authorities plan to match DNA taken from the animal with DNA from the victims to be certain they killed the right cougar.
As Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife investigators try to figure out why a cougar attacked two men, killing one and injuring another, two experts weighed in on what may have led up to the attack.
The attack is extremely rare. It was just the second time in the past 100 years that a cougar has killed a human in Washington state. It was just the 15th instance where a cougar has injured a human, according to WDFW.
Authorities plan to match DNA taken from the animal with DNA from the victims to be certain they killed the right cougar. They sent the animal’s carcass to a veterinary lab…
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Exposing the Big Game 
This is why mountain biking should not be allowed in wilderness. I’m not sure how deep in the wilderness, but that’s why it is called mountain biking. Traveling at fast speeds, the bike riders are totally unprepared for surprise encounters with animals, and the animals are totally unprepared for surprise encounters with humans – and act accordingly. Obviously, it never occurred to these suburbanites or city-dwellers to be cautious or bring bear spray. The foothills of the Cascades? I’m not familiar with the area, but I’d sure like to be.
Trying to justify the killing of this mountain lion doesn’t change that fact that these people shouldn’t have been there in the first place. I’ve heard all kinds of rationale that perhaps the mountain lion was rabid (for just being there?), or emaciated and hungry. It still means too much human encroachment, whatever the reason. I’ve read a few blah-blah human-centric articles, and that is enough for me.
People on bikes move and look more like prey species.
Yes, and I worry that those idiots in Congress will push anti-wilderness and more access to wilderness legislation through to appease the Mountain Biking Association of America, or whatever the recreation-du-jour is. If a person is injured or killed in conflict, just kill off all the wildlife is my fear. I’d rather see wildlife than ugly, selfish human activities – like tearing up the trails on a mountain bike to show off. 😦
“Authorities plan to match DNA taken from the animal with DNA from the victims to be certain they killed the right cougar. They sent the animal’s carcass to a veterinary lab at Washington State University for a necropsy to determine what might have been wrong with it.”
Would be ever know if they killed the wrong animal, which is highly likely? I doubt it, but I await the results eagerly. 😦
Shoot first and ask questions later. It really is disgusting. It was a tragic accident. I do hope we hear ‘what was wrong with it’ but I doubt we will and this story will quietly disappear.
That gets me–they shoot first and then try to find out if they killed the right cougar. And if they didn’t? Then one big cat is dead and they can go out on a literal crap shoot and try again.
It’s unfortunate for the bikers. They were minding their own business and not hunting. But I agree with Idaursine. We should not insist on a human presence and recreation EVERYWHERE. There should be wilderness areas left to the wildlife. We don’t need to intrude and benefit from every square inch of land.
Has anyone noticed that the new conservation “ethic,” even espoused by so-called conservation organizations, is to focus on poverty and human needs first and hope benefits trickle down to animals and the environment. The more we fight human supremacy, the stronger it grows, and even conservation groups sell out.
The human population and development are growing in that part of the state, with the usual consequences for wild animals.
This will probably give hunters another reason to kill a few extra cougars. Sad and disgusting.
“The more we fight human supremacy, the stronger it grows, and even conservation groups sell out.”
Yes, even with those iconic species on the brink, like elephants, I read still that people are calling it ‘racism’ if anyone should interfere with the human ‘right’ to ‘manage’ wildlife, or human livelihoods or well-being. Funny tho how noone calls out the inherent racism of rich white men trophy hunting. Human supremacy will win in the end.
Unfortunately, using “racism” as a bullying tactic has been successful in scaring off discussions that have nothing to do with racism.
Ingrid Newkirk was invited by Googlers for Animals to give a speech. She was banned from speaking because some thought there was a racist element to her topic, which was “Racism, Sexism, and Speciesism.” She never got an official explanation. Go figure.