No, No, Nebraska!

No one would ever question that public safety is the priority of everyone involved when a large wild carnivore finds itself in inappropriate developed surroundings.

Public safety can still be maintained by establishing a perimeter-including armed responders- who can rapidly mitigate the anticipated attempt to escape by a mountain lion as a tranquilizer begins to work. The heightened fear that this kind of response elicits as opposed to the heightened awareness and disciplined scene management that is the best outcome, has a negative and deleterious affect on public education about mountain lions.

If this lion was a young male he belonged to the most suitable demographic for attempted relocation. The story indicates that the lion may have been seeking refuge. Lions move quickly through areas that do not support them either with food or with their need to remain elusive. Lions are wild, they need to be treated with respect. Respect can be achieved best by sound education and thoughtful management response, rather than embellishing the already inflated myths that surround these animals. The highest level of safety does not always come through the barrel of a gun.

http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/Mountain-Lion-Spotted-A-302835431.html