Beserkley: Memorial placed for shot Cali cougar

In Berkley, California, where police shot and killed a 100-pound mountain lion found roaming a residential and business district early Tuesday morning, a makeshift memorial has been placed near where the predator died. One sign reads: "Let's honor life by not killing wild animals..." We don't make this stuff up. Berkleyside.com and KTVU.

Comments

[Brian]

A fleeing mountain lion has never harmed anybody. I know you are not interested in facts, but that is the truth.

The risk to the public fron discharging weapons in an urban area is far greater than the almost non-existent risk from a cat that just wants to get away.

Other cities, such as Portland, Ore have figured out how to sedate and remove lions.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

@Brian

Like it or not, Puma concolor is a dangerous animal. A woman was famously almost killed within a few miles of where I live, in suburban southern California. Regrettably, contracting habitat coupled with an almost complete ban on hunting the animals have simultaneously resulted in forcing individual animals into contact with humans while removing any reason for them to fear humans. In short, since the only predator of pumas is man and man isn't doing his bit, they have overpopulated, and puma attacks on humans are increasing in number. The cop did what he had to do, since he would have had absolutely no excuses if he had spared the animal and it had hurt a kid, or even an environmentalist. Unless of course, Brian, you prefer the well-being of animals to that of people. Do you?

[Chris Berry]

I think they should just put these Lions in your homes and you can turn them in to pets LOL ..you people in CA brought it on your self by not alowing hunting anymore and now the police and conservation agents kill more than ever when you had a season.. I am sorry for the family of the kids they hurt..

[Brian]

Tyrone,

Sorry that you totally missed the point of my post. A fleeing lion is not a danger to people. There is no record of any such cat harming anybody. A lion in a hunting mode is a diferent story and should be treated differently in an urban setting.

The cat in question just wanted to get as far away from people as possible. The discharge of weapons by the officiers was more of a threat than the animal, by far.