Deseret News | Reader comments: 2 wild felines caught in Utah County

Reader comments
2 wild felines caught in Utah County

Russ | 7:29 p.m. June 18, 2009

Don't let peta know you shot an animal that was endangering the community

Tom | 7:34 p.m. June 18, 2009

What do you expect when all the people are intruding on their homes. Where are they suppost to go? At least the DWR did the right thing and tranquilize them and release them into the wild instead of killing them.

Intruder | 8:34 p.m. June 18, 2009

Cougars have been captured over 300 miles from where they were originally caught and collared, so I don't think we have intruded on them. They follow the deer herds for food, and with all of the snow and the cold weather this Spring, the deer have been ranging closer to the foothills. This draws the cougars down also, where they start encountering people. If summer ever gets here, the deer and the cougars should move higher and incidents like this will be less frequent.

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Why they travel. | 8:50 p.m. June 18, 2009

These incidents likely happened because cougars, like most predators, are very territorial. These particular animals were probably younger/older animals kicked out of their home territories by a stronger more dominate animals of their own species and they are in search for new homes and territories. It's nature's way to perpetuate the species!

American Citizen | 5:54 a.m. June 19, 2009

"Why they travel" got it right. Cougars have large territories and do not tolerate the presence of other cougars, even their own youngsters. If they did, they would starve.

They reproduce faster than their prey. Their youngsters either find a niche territory or starve. Humans are simply food they need to live. Kill or be killed. Nature is a rough place.

Naruto | 11:44 a.m. June 19, 2009

This has nothing to do with territory.
You know what they say...Something about couriousity and cats. Meow!
I wonder how a Cougar would react to a laser pointer...I'd love to see that one.

Silva | 2:23 p.m. June 19, 2009

Building homes on deer feeding grounds invites their preditors also.

Animal Welfare | 10:33 a.m. June 20, 2009

People are infringing on their habitats. New developments, new housing, more people moving into the suburbs and the country. Animals are losing their natural habitats, their homes and sometimes their lives. New people move into an area, and then scream they have raccoons, possums, foxes and they want them removed or killed. Cougars and other wildlife have no where to go - we are destroying their natural habitats. Learn to live with wildlife, enjoy seeing wildlife, because the only wildlife you may zoo will be in zoos.

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