Protests After Palo Alto Cops Kill Mountain Lion

[gunsmith]

I thought there would be some protest,but didn't imagine it would be this outrageous.
http://cbs5.com/news/local/2004/05/18/Protests_After_Palo_Alto_Cops_Kill_Mountain_Lion.html

The Palo Alto Police Department has been swamped with calls protesting their shooting of a mountain lion Monday.

The graphic footage -- captured exclusively by a CBS 5 camera -- showed what happened when the animal wandered too far into a neighborhood in the heart of the city. The mountain lion was discovered in a tree, and was shot and killed.

Concerned calls have been coming in from around the country, and one police captain called it the most vocal response to any officer involved shooting he's seen -- whether the victim was an animal or human.

One animal rights group says officers acted too quickly, and that the animal could have been spared if the department had been better prepared. Police say calls had been made for a tranquilizer gun, but they stand by their decision to kill the animal because they say it posed an immediate threat to public safety.

But even if a tranquilizer gun had been immediately available, Fish and Game officials said Tuesday that using it would not have been a safe option given the surroundings and the time it takes tranquilizers to work. Officials have conducted a necropsy to see if the animal's carcass can yield any clues as to how or why it wandered so far from open spaces where most of its natural prey lives.
The animal was a three-year-old male in good condition although slightly underweight. Officials say it could have been forced out of the wild by a more dominant male and probably followed a trail of food, water and shelter along San Francisquito or other creeks leading from the hills into town.

Police recieve 200 complaints
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/news/051804_nw_mountain_lion.html
Folks the images on tv last night were lmao funny,this caucasian women doing this faux native American chanting thing with burning sage,notes were placed there,candles...

 

[atek3]

let another unarmed hiker get eaten, maybe the protests will die down...then again, maybe they won't

atek3

 

[R.H. Lee]

Well, the cops have no duty to protect ANYBODY. Their purpose is to SOLVE crimes that have already occurred. If I were Chief of PO, or mayor, I would just let the next kitty gobble up whoever it wanted and show up a coupla hours later to take a report.

 

[larry_minn]

IMO very simple. Get names/phone numbers of everyone who complains. Notify them that next time a wild/dangerous animal is found THEY will be called and expected to deal with it alone. They will be issured a butterfly net and collar/leash. The Police will only protect others and they may walk up to nice kitty and put leash around its neck and lead it to safety.

 

[glocksman]

And Californians wonder why we here in 'flyover country' think of California as fruitcake central.

 

[JohnBT]

This is NOT the same cat. I just thought I'd post it - it's from benchrest.com

John

 

[KMKeller]

Dang! That looks like Art...

 

[Sindawe]

Hmmm...I'm sorta conflicted on this, not that it matters to the people in Californai. I like cats, ALL cats, and that look on the Puma pic posted above is one I've seen many times. That cat is rather frightened, trying to be as inoffensive as possible and get away if it gets the chance. Wish it had not had to be shoot.

However, I also realize that the cat is in a place it really should not be, which is in a suburban neighborhood. The theory put forth by officials sounds reasonable as to why the cat was there. For that, I have to lay blame on those who supported banning ALL puma hunting in California. The only control on the population at this point is now the limits of the food supply (which there is LOTS of in cities ie pets), so with a growing population, some cats will strike out for new terratory or be forced out by a larger cat. Same thing we humans are doing, 'cept for the forced out part. So wild cats in cities is not a good mix.

As far as unarmed hikers getting taken down. Oh well, thats one of the risks of venturing outside areas totaly dominated by humans. I know the cats (and bears) are out there in the forests of Colorado, and aside from venturing into the Boulder Mountain Parks, I carry at least a side arm when go into the forests. Those who don't and get et up, well thats just 'selective pressure' on the population culling the foolish from the herd. Evolution/mother nature in action.

 

[Standing Wolf]

I'm sure I'll always miss the temperate climate and beaches.

 

[gunsmith]

and now it's time for Standing Wolf to say

I'm sure I'll always miss the temperate climate and beaches.

 

[TCD]

just let a mountain lion kill a few children, or "jump" into a school yard.


I bet you everybody will be wanting to kill them under the guise of "think of the children"

 

[SAG0282]

Haha, oh God, I love it how so many fat white women try so hard to be "ethnic" in order to be "fashionable". God they disgust me......I wish they'd just clamber back up into their Suburbans (with the "Friends of the Earth bumper sticker") and engage their fat white Birkenstock clad hooves to the pedal, and go on back to the nearest Cold Stone Creamery where they and their fellow heifers can indignantly rail against all of the wrongs in the world, keeping it to themselves within the herd.

 

[JohnBT]

I don't recall the entire story on the cat in the pic I posted, but it's at benchrest.com if you do a quick search on 'lion'.

The short version was he got permission to shoot it because it was a regular visitor to a backyard. He was setup on a picnic table IIRC and waiting on it and that's why it was humorously claimed it was an appropriate post for a benchrest forum.

I do recall that he said he measures about 6' 4" to the top of his hat.

John

 

[Diamondback]

It's really too bad when it comes to this but the reality is that a couger is wild and unpredictable....and capable of inflicting great harm . As their habitat continues to shrink we will see more and more incidents like this. It is estimated an individual, adult, male, cat needs roughly 90 square miles of his own to thrive. While territories do overlap, overcrowding forces the imature juveniles, unable to challenge bigger well eatablished males, to wander in search of disclaimed habitat. Inevitably some will wander into urban areas. A sub species of the Western Mountian Lion that inhabits the Flordia Everglades is just holding on by it's claws...as the Everglades shrink the native populatition teeters on the brink of extiction. Nonetheless people and pets must live free from the threat of predation. What's a peace officer to do when a wild cougar wanders into a neighborhood ?....and what would have been the reaction of some of our citizens if while law enforcement was waiting for a tranquilizer gun to arrive on the scene, the large cat suddenly pounced on a human.......a child...a pet. This is where I think those that oppose the use of firearms to protect life lack empathy. Does one really think that the officer that killed the cat enjoyed him/herself ? There is , I think , no real pleasure in killing such a noble animal..........just a duty to protect the public !

 

[Fastlane]

Siegfried:

I don't understand your post. Did you post to the wrong forum?

 

[larryw]

I wonder how many of the "protesters" (bored bozos looking for something/anything to whine about) had children in the elementary school just down the street?

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I'm on the side of the protestors here. This country has too many Kaliforniacators and not enough lions.

 

[R.H. Lee]

I'm on the side of the protestors here. This country has too many Kaliforniacators and not enough lions

Hey! As a Californian, I'm offended.

Moderators, please close this thread

 

[Frohickey]

As far as unarmed hikers getting taken down. Oh well, thats one of the risks of venturing outside areas totaly dominated by humans. I know the cats (and bears) are out there in the forests of Colorado, and aside from venturing into the Boulder Mountain Parks, I carry at least a side arm when go into the forests. Those who don't and get et up, well thats just 'selective pressure' on the population culling the foolish from the herd. Evolution/mother nature in action.

That is the main problem though. At least in Colorado, you have a shall-issue permit law, so you can be armed at a street/park or in the outdoors. But not so in California, you have to be a big political contributor or Sean Penn/Robert Blake to be armed in California.

 

[SAG0282]

Fastlane;

Nope........sorry if it was a bit poorly explained or unclear. It was in response to this part of the original post;

Folks the images on tv last night were lmao funny,this caucasian women doing this faux native American chanting thing with burning sage,notes were placed there,candles...

It is fairly commonplace here in Western WA, and especially at college campuses within the state, for white liberal-types to try be more "worldly" and show up dressed in all manner of traditional ethnic garb to show solidarity for their "brothers and sisters". It is thought to be fashionable....some I think even believe that they too have endured the (very arguable) social slights of the ethnic group in question. It really very thoroughly disgusts me.

 

[R.H. Lee]

But not so in California, you have to be a big political contributor or Sean Penn/Robert Blake to be armed in California.

That's right. We're very progressive here in California. We just can't have ANY ignorant bigot running around with a firearm. Sean Penn and Robert Blake are sophisticated and KNOW how to handle dangerous weapons (you have seen their skills in movies?)

And besides, people like Sean Penn have a very developed social conscience, and through their discourse raise the level of public awareness to the problems of violent crime.




















Damn! I'm almost getting good enough to post on DU!

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Those of you who know me know I would NEVER post a cruel and insensitive joke about the people of Kalifonia and their wonderful Senators and other politicians.





















Mppph! Dang! I just can't say that with a straight face!

 

[natedog]

M-4 Carbine w/ Eotech...going tactical against mountain lions .

(Note: Anyone know how to take a screenshot of the desktop?)

 

[gunsmith]

I hear ya siegfried

my signifcant cohabitator is the "real mccoy" and has Mexican (she says Spanish-like all Mexicans) and Native American heritage on her mom's side.
She thought the blonde women doing the sage burning faux "Indian" chanting was a complete moron.
If it wasn't so hysterically funny it would be offensive.

The news this evening said the cat's stomach was empty,he was a hungry scared lion,thats only slightly less dangerous then my signifcant cohabitator (on a bad day)

 

[Locke]

Typical California:

In my government class, everyday we talk about how terrible it was to treat the poor terrorist prisoners that way. Our teacher practically gets the class to say "look how evil our military is! All seven or 8 of them!!... oh, wait, there are about 150,000 troops in Iraq.. darn." I keep wanting to mention that if those Iraqi prisoners were doing that stuff in Massachusetts, nobody would say how disgusting and dehumanizing it is - instead, they'd try to rush them in to get married! And they'd say "what a victory for gay rights!!"

Nobody shows compassion for Americans getting slayed... just for animals. Nobody in my class seemed shocked, angered, or even concerned when I informed them of Nick Berg's savage beheading. The day after the news came out, I saw the video... I told my class they didnt' just chop off his head, but sawed it off with a big knife while chanting to their false god. Instead, everyone was saying "the poor lion! he just wanted to sleep in the trees!" No outrage over Nick Berg, no outrage when some Muslims shot a Jewish woman and her four kids in the face, and then shot her again in the abdomen because she was pregnant, no outrage when three girls in Afghanistan were poisoned for trying to go to school... instead, they go on and on for 3 weeks about how evil America is and how they were so mean to those poor Iraqi prisoners. Oh, and that poor mountain lion!!

Ryan