Officials in Oregon are unsure if a cougar who was recently shot is the same one who killed a hiker near Mount Hood. As reported by the Statesman Journal, tests will be run on the wild cat to see if she is the one who killed 55-year-old Diana Bober.
The organized hunt for cougars
After Bober’s body was found on Hunchback trail, officials with Oregon’s Department of Fish and Wildlife made plans to organize planned hunts for cougars in the area…DNA would be gathered from the dead cats until a match was found.
After the adult female cougar was killed on Friday, officials with the agency stated that they would “continue operations” but halt active pursuit of cougars in the area. Before the cat was killed, ODFW official Brian Wolfer had stated:
“We’re going to be as humane as possible. We’re not going in there intending to kill a large number of cougars.”
From the instigation of the hunt, officials had stated that any cougars found in the region would be killed until the one who killed the hiker was located.
The cougar killed on Friday
Hunters tracked the female cougar using dogs – she was located in a tree on Friday afternoon and shot and killed with a rifle.
The backlash
Animal lovers have expressed outrage over the hunt for cougars in the area – though many have questioned why cougars could not be captured and tested, officials with the wildlife agency have stated that it isn’t possible to do. Others have stated the obvious…the woman was in the cougar’s domain and the wild animal should not be killed for behaving like a wild animal. The wildlife organization has stated that it is not normal for a cougar to kill a human – which is their reason for wanting the feline eliminated.
(Image via Pixabay)
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Yesterday in the news: Sweet Neo will be given no extensions – he needs out now. Read more about this dog here.
Outrageous! Family evacuated, leaving dogs behind – more here.
Trapped cougar freed! Watch the dramatic video below:
Hope they do not keep killing until they “find” the cougar that killed this woman. Too many needless deaths all around.
Sooooooo, you’ll keep killing cougars UNTIL (if ever) you kill the one who actually killed the woman!!!!WTF!!!!!Just an excuse to kill these animals!!!!!
These ignorant cruel people don’t know the definition of “HUMANITY”!
Oh .. they are not sure. But they’ll keep killing them won’t they? I’m sorry the lady was killed. But if she was in the cougar’s territory … perhaps it was defending it. IF someone goes hiking there .. are there not posted signs that there could be danger in that area?
Stop murdering cougars for being wild!!!!
We’re going to be as humane as possible. We’re not going in there intending to kill a large number of cougars.”? Really, killing wild animals for being wild animals is ridiculous, if this is NOT the alleged killer, then what, they go on to the next and then the next? What is to be gained from killing multiple cougars until they find the ONE that killed this woman? They call this humane!
This is like saying, “kill all men because they rape”. Unreasonable logic.
So you want the animal eliminated because it killed a woman! It was probably defending young ones! How can you be humane when shooting an animal with a rifle!?Do you hunt down and kill people when they kill someone? No, you don’t! Then why hunt down and kill animals when they kill people? And the point being…? Keep killng animals and there will eventually be none left because they will become extinct!
This was ignorant, inhumane and wasteful especially since these animals have already been decimated by people. The animals could be tranquilized, tested, and released. We don’t go around shooting humans until we get the right one for murder.