A bill that would have afforded legal protections to cougars in Iowa has been scratched, as lawmakers declined to advance it for discussion.

The bill was proposed by Shane Griffin, a firefighter and paramedic from Nevada, Iowa who believes cougars have a place in his home state. Despite his passionate and informed testimony that mountain lions are a native species that people can coexist safely with the large predators, senators were unmoved, instead preferring to talk about the animal in mythical terms and claiming it was a serious danger to people and pets.

Currently, mountain lions have no legal status in Iowa. They may be killed anywhere at anytime, no questions asked. The proposed bill “would have prohibited wounding, killing, trapping, buy valtrex medication capturing or collecting a cougar — also known as a mountain lion — in Iowa, and made such offenses a misdemeanor crime. It included exceptions for situations in which a person, property or livestock was endangered.”

There have been 19 cougar sightings in Iowa since 1995, a sign that the elusive cat is gradually making it’s way back to midwestern states. However, without adequate protections and social tolerance, these cats are unlikely to colonize states like Iowa. That is why this bill – similar to a recently passed law in Illinois that added mountain lions, gray wolves, and black bears to the state’s protected species list –  could have been so significant.

News story:

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2015/02/11/mountain-lion-hunting-iowa/23231243/

At least one Iowa State Representative does not want to see cougars recolonize Iowa.

Representative Clel Baudler, speaking to Raccoon Valley Radio, said: “A mountain lion eats people. I’m not going to protect something that looks to me, my kids, and grandkids as number two on the food chain.”

While we cannot agree with Representative Baudler’s statements, we certainly understand how common and sincere such  fears are.  Helping to relieve the anxiety that comes from unfamiliarity with large carnivores is what motivates us.  The Cougar Fund is committed  to finding and sharing ways that protect our families, pets, livestock AND wildlife. Sometimes, to do this, we must address what is myth and choose instead to focus on the facts.

While it is true that cougars can be a threat to humans and human interests, it is important to keep this threat in perspective. There have been 23 fatal attacks on humans by mountain lions in North America since 1890. By comparison, nearly can i buy valtrex 36,000 Americans died in car accidents in 2009 alone, according to the United States Census Bureau. You are 30 times more likely to be attacked by a domestic dog than a cougar. Additionally, lightning and bee stings inflict far more fatalities than cougars – yet we haven’t tried to eradicate either of these entities.

So, while the potential risk that mountain lions pose isn’t something to be taken lightly, it needs to be kept in perspective. The reality is that most perceptions of these animals are based on myth and misinformation. When you get down to the facts, cougars are animals we can live quite safely with. Residents of the western United States (and Florida!) manage to live side-by-side with cougars everyday, with attacks being extremely rare. Certainly, Iowa can find a way to coexist with this magnificent animal.

News story: http://raccoonvalleyradio.com/2015/02/baudler-against-lobbying-to-protect-mountain-lions/

Click here to learn more about staying safe when living and recreating in mountain lion country.

Nebraska Senator Ernie Chambers is continuing his fight to protect cougars in Nebraska. His most recent bill – to create a specialty license plate for mountain lion conservation –  was discussed yesterday, although not everyone was supportive. Revenue from the sale of the license plates would help fund conservation and education, but Nebraska Game and Parks buy generic valtrex online canada Deputy Director Tim McCoy believes that the bill is too conservation-oriented and wouldn’t sell well in a state where cougars are a controversial topic. He was the only person to testify against the bill.

This is a very progressive bill that would create an alternative funding source for conservation. We will be keeping tabs on this story.

http://www.omaha.com/news/legislature/nebraska-game-and-parks-says-cougar-license-plates-won-t/article_f13c0969-0d38-5b01-ae4e-000d7afd78e0.html