Local police shot and killed a mountain lion roaming the center of my city Friday night. I live in Del Rio, Texas, which is on the border of Mexico about 150 miles due west of San Antonio. Population is 40,000. Kinda scary. Here is the link and article:
http://delrionewsherald.com/news/art...9bb2963f4.html
Officers shoot mountain lion
Jennifer Killin | Posted: Sunday, September 2, 2012 12:59 am
A mountain lion that wandered into town overnight Friday was shot and killed by police at the Del Rio Freshman Campus.
The cat, also known as a cougar, panther, catamount or puma, was first spotted on 14th Street and Avenue D before midnight.
Witnesses told police the mountain lion (scientific name, puma concolor) jumped onto vehicles and pawed at houses before darting away.
Del Rio Police officers first caught up to the animal on 17th Street near the Dink Wardlaw Building. Fearing for the safety of the general public, officers took shots at the cat, which Interim Police Chief Fred Knoll said weighed between 125-140 pounds.
The cat then ran north and officers again tried to stop it near the North Heights Elementary campus on Main Street. The final shots were fired at the animal at the Freshman Campus, where it died. Knoll said the cat was shot about six times.
“Normally, when you shoot an animal like this they go down with the first shot, but this one kept running,” Knoll said. “Our concern is for the safety of the general public and having this cat in town is very unusual.”
Mountain lions are described as solitary animals that primarily reside in remote areas of West Texas, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.
Game Warden Capt. Marco Alvizo said because the cat was not making an attempt to leave town the decision was made to kill the animal rather than tranquilize or trap it.
The drought could be to blame for the cat’s venture into city limits, said Christine Foley, a professor of biology at Southwest Texas Junior College.
“The extended drought is rough on the wildlife,” Foley said. “The lack of water in the area will bring the lions into town for an easy meal of dogs and cats.”
Because the animal did not attack, no tests are being conducted on the cat, which was disposed of at the city landfill, Alvizo said.
Knoll said there is no evidence that any more cats are lingering around town, but is urging residents to take precautions, and immediately report any sightings to police.
Mountain lion attacks are rare, according to the Parks and Wildlife website. Since 1980, only four attacks on humans have been reported in Texas, all of them in remote areas of West Texas.