The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has voted to increase permits for hunting cougars this year from 531 to 581. Aside from the arrogance of ending an animal’s life for no reason beyond trophies and long-held customs is the risk that we might be reducing our cougar populations to dangerously low levels.
These beautiful lions are chased, sometimes for hours, by a pack of dogs until treed. Left with no route to escape, they are then unceremoniously shot. While the emotional capacity of animals has been debated for years, few would deny they experience fear and pain. Admirably, the DWR has a cougar management plan, but admits that due to the reclusive nature of cats, it cannot accurately determine the population of mountain lions in the state.