To the editor:
We read with great interest an article in the June 30 Journal-World. It was the reported sighting by Liz Dobbins of a mountain lion. This is the latest in a long list of sightings.
My husband saw one of the large cats a couple of months ago in our front yard. It also crouched when he yelled, then it took six or seven steps in his direction before crouching again. He retreated into our house. We saw it again a few days later hunting near the woods. When talking to a neighbor, he said it had been sighted earlier. We live in the wooded Martin Park area with an abundant wildlife population and lots of habitat.
We had not reported the incidents due to the comments like that of Mr. Wolfe, fisheries and wildlife region supervisor. He says there "hadn't been any conclusive evidence."
These are not UFOs, and the people reporting these large cats have clear views of the animals.
I doubt there would be public panic if he acknowledged that the animals could exist. What would be helpful is if Mr. Wolfe would provide information to the public. What evasive action needs to be taken if confronted with a mountain lion?
Let's not wait for a sad incident to occur. We don't need Mr. Wolfe's approval to believe in these sightings, and these large, beautiful cats don't need his acknowledgment to live in our area.
Linda Bost,
Lawrence
Comments
poolside 6 years, 10 months ago
It is either raining or it is not raining. It is not raining, so, it must be raining. (A quote from my grandmother.) But wouldn't you agree, Mr. Wolfe?
gr 6 years, 10 months ago
I heard they were doing quite a bit of effort to get rid of a crocodile in California. Elsewhere, I've heard they were doing their best to get rid of walking catfish. And, locally, I've heard they're trying to get rid of zebra mussels.
Why isn't there more effort in eliminating any mountain lions? They're invasive species, too - at least in our lifetimes. Is it because mountain lions are 'warm fuzzy' creatures and zebra mussels are 'icky'?
KayCee 6 years, 10 months ago
"He says there 'hadn't been any conclusive evidence.'"
Well, since many people (family, neighbors, friends) have seen a large cat at some time in recent years, that is EVIDENCE to me. It's been 15-20 years since I saw one, but my wife saw one cross the road this past year.
They exist, and are becomming more noticed.
OldEnuf2BYurDad 6 years, 10 months ago
"Let's not wait for a sad incident to occur."
Apparently the people we pay to keep an eye on these things would rather that we wait for something horrible to happen. Then it'll be a circus watching them defend their inaction. They are bureaucrats, not leaders.
These stories of a crouching lion have a common theme: intelligent adults encountered this (these?) lion. What will happen when some kids are out playing and the lion sees them before they see the lion, or if the kids don't take the threat seriously? It's sad to think of what will happen.
gr 6 years, 10 months ago
Here kitty, kitty.
75x55 6 years, 10 months ago
Hmm. If I see one, I think I'll plug it, tack it's skin to the front of my house, and when the KDWP rangers show up with their citations - "What cougar pelt? They aren't in Kansas. See the long tail - that means it's just a big house cat."
Well, the folks up near Martin Park can take solace in knowing that the developers are doing all they can to force all that wildlife back over I-70 where it belongs. Safer neighborhoods through rampant construction!
Lynn731 6 years, 10 months ago
Rampant construction is the problem. We have invaded and taken large parts of these animal's habitat. When I lived on 24 acres east of Lecompton on the bluff, 20 years ago, I raised sheep. I like sheep, they are warm, fuzzy, and stupid. We had two twin lambs that had grown to about 60 pounds each. One night they both disappeared from our fenced land. First thing in my mind was cougar. I called my friend with Kansas Fish & Game, as it was called then. First he gave me the party line, no cougars in Kansas. Then he said there is nothing but a cougar that could take two 60 pound lambs in one night like that, but don't tell anyone I said it. The next time we walked the fence, which we only did about once a year because the terrain was hilly, rough, steep, and rocky, there they were the skins and bones of my lambs. The same kind of thing happened when a friend, while fishing, discovered two bald eagles building a nest at Clinton Lake, about 75-100 yards from shore in two dead trees. This was when eagles nesting didn't happen here, these were among the first. We called our friend at Fish & Game, no eagles nest in Kansas we were told. So another friend with a camera with a 1200mm lens, and a history of taking excellent photographs, went and took photos of the nest. When they were developed, they showed both adult eagles on the nest. He took them to the fish and game office and spread them out on the supervisors desk and said, what are these, sparrows? Officials won't admit to the existence of animals not normally native to this area, until they have proof. So the joggers, and residents in the area where the cougars are being seen more and more frequently, need to take cameras with them. The statement, a picture is worth a thousand words really is true. Thank you, Lynn
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