HikeArizona.COM

What a cutie!

On a side note, when will people figure out that nobody ever wants to watch a vertical-format video? Cell phone software should prevent it from even being possible. </rant>

What a shame Looked like it was starving not rabid Rehabilitate and relocate not shot and kill!! People move to houses near the mountain and complain about the wildlife invading THEIR space or move next to an Air Force base and complain about the noise. THEY WERE THERE FIRST!! :SB:

Bradshaws wrote:What a shame Looked like it was starving not rabid Rehabilitate and relocate not shot and kill!! People move to houses near the mountain and complain about the wild life invading THEIR space or move next to an Air Force base and complain about the noise. THEY WERE THERE FIRST!! :SB:

While basically I agree with that idea, in this case maybe they felt they needed to act quickly in the public interest and didn't have the tools to catch it live at the time?

@azbackpackr
I know what your saying, but they knew the call they were responding to. The Game and Fish department should have the tool and ability to take any animal alive whenever possible. And maybe in this case there was no other way but it seems to be that killing is the only way in many of these stories. To me it seems like a case of fixing the symptoms instead of the problem

Had something similar a couple of years ago when I lived in Idaho. There was a mountain lion pacing running through neighborhoods and then found pacing in front of a local hospital. Human safety was more important and the cat was shot. It's a tough call, but better to err on the side of keeping people safe.

SpiderLegs wrote:Had something similar a couple of years ago when I lived in Idaho. There was a mountain lion pacing running through neighborhoods and then found pacing in front of a local hospital. Human safety was more important and the cat was shot. It's a tough call, but better to err on the side of keeping people safe.

The statistics say otherwise. This is more about the perception of safety than the reality.

It looked like it wanted a handout more than it looked like it wanted to eat anyone inside the house. Pretty sure it was starving. There are fewer and fewer rabbits, rats, mice, etc. in these areas since the stupid humans moved in.

Bradshaws wrote:invading THEIR space...

http://hikearizona.com/photo.php?ZIP=355299

@beterarcher
I think that handouts are one of the biggest problems facing the wildlife bordering human settlements. People forget that these are wild animals! No matter how long they have been fed or how well someone thinks they know a perticular animal they are wild. Inevitably a human gets bit and the news agencies run out and plaster it all over that a crazed animal is on the loose. Then days later it comes out that the person bit had been feeding the animal but that never makes the news like the vicious attack did.

Could it have once been someone's pet, used to humans feeding it? Then, it got too big, so they let it go?

should we merge this into the feral cats thread? Were any cranes or cockateels harmed?

spicy filter? When did that happen?

Tough_Boots wrote:spicy filter? When did that happen?

While you were hiking... Actually, I think it has been in place for at least 6 months.

Tough_Boots wrote:spicy filter? When did that happen?

You're welcome. I'm so happy I've had a lasting impact on this site.
On a side note I wonder who at G&F is contacting the local taxidermist?

Poor thing... its a youngin, a juvenile and starving. Also showing NO signs of rabies from what was seen in that video.
It was most likely starving, exhausted and desperate. And it didn't WANT the dogs...good grief it smelled an easy meal that wouldn't put up a fight...gee, the dogs food??
Not everything is out to kill you ya know...

P.s. this was 5 miles north of where I use to live, my ex and I use to mountain bike in the area, I once saw and reported a Mtn lion...no one ever believed one could be so close to the neighborhood... believe me now?! Good grief...
Spotting a Mtn lion on a bike trail isn't something you make up...its no ringtail bunny!!

Im not typically in favor of putting an animal down (like the bear slaughter by Payson last summer) but in this case it was the right decision. Odds were stacked on this cat rehabilitated or not. How many 10's of thousands of dollars would have gone towards doing so with a nil % chance of success?? Going to a zoo would be more cruel than putting it out of its misery.

There's a reason their hunting season is open year around.

@ASUAviator
I have to agree with you in this case. After getting more info on this it turns out that Peoria police shot this cat not game and fish. Being that the police department could not or would not have any training on how to deal with an animal such as this there may have not been any other way.

I also agree that putting a wild born animal in a zoo would be cruel. I just hate see these cats at zoos. if they're not pacing back and forth then they just lay there waiting for death.

But I disagree with you on rehabilitating wild animals. It can and in many cases does work. Many rehabilitation facilities work off mostly donations and charity. The only money spent is by people that want their money spent that way.

Many of the cats that cause problem are so close to civilization that hunting them is hard if not impossible. There should be a relocation system in place to move cats from civilization to a place where they can be legally harvested through hunting practices.

Bradshaws wrote:Many of the cats that cause problem are so close to civilization that hunting them is hard if not impossible.

Archery.