Lions in the news
March 9:
The U.S. Forest Service and Arizona Game and Fish Department jointly decide to close Sabino Canyon and hunt the lions that reportedly have been frequenting the recreation area. Wildlife officials cite numerous reports of sightings and encounters with people since May 2003. A public outcry ensues over whether to kill the lions.
March 14:
Game and Fish Director Duane Shroufe suspends the hunt.
March 24:
Environmentalist Rod Coronado and writer John H. Richardson are arrested by Forest Service officers and charged with trespassing into the canyon and interfering with a Forest Service operation.
March 28:
After five days of failed attempts to trap mountain lions in Sabino Canyon, a state hunt for the animals is called off indefinitely
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March 31:
The Forest Service reopens Sabino Canyon with restrictions. The park had been closed to all visitors for three weeks.
April 9:
An 80-pound female lion is caught in a trap set out beside a deer kill attributed to the cat. The cougar is sedated, then trucked to a Scottsdale-area wildlife rehabilitation facility to begin a life in captivity.
April 13:
The Forest Service lifts all restrictions on Sabino Canyon, allowing access to all areas.
May 15:
Two mountain bikers report being stalked on Mount Lemmon by a mountain lion and fend it off with rocks.
May 16:
Game and Fish officers investigating the incident with the mountain bikers shoot and kill female cougar.
The right response
The two mountain bikers who encountered a mountain lion on Mount Lemmon "did everything right," said Tom Whetten, a spokesman for the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
"Had they not been aware of what was going on around them, they could have very well been attacked rather than just stalked," Whetten said.
They were riding together, instead of alone. There is always safety in numbers where mountain lions and bears are concerned, he said.
They were aware enough of their surroundings to notice the lion in the first place. "You need to be paying attention all the time, and these guys obviously were," Whetten said.
The two did not try to flee from the animal. "Don't try to get away if you're accosted. Fight back as vigorously as you possibly can," Whetten said.
Using their bikes as shields, they threw rocks and yelled at the lion.
They reported the incident as soon as possible, optimizing the chances of safeguarding people from further incidents with the animal.
NewsTalk
° Do you support or oppose the shooting of a mountain lion by Arizona Game and Fish officers after it reportedly stalked two mountain bikers over the weekend? Why?
° What else, if anything, should be done?
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