Wild Cat Database

All species of wild cats are unique, intelligent, instrumental to the environment and they deserve to be protected.  I find it incredibly odd that we live in a country that feels a dwindling population of one of the species of wild cats should be hunted in order to keep the numbers in line with other wild life.  In Utah alone, it is anticipated that approximately 300 cougars will be hunted and killed.   Last year, an average of 311 were killed before it was discovered that the quota had been met.  Although, eleven is a small number, it is obvious to see that the hunting of cougars is not well monitored.  And for that matter,  311 were acknowledged, there might have been several more not recorded.

I have read that that the Cougar population is estimated at approximately 5,100 in Oregon.  I have read several articles supporting the hunting of Cougars and the threat of the high numbers of this wild cat.  I also came across a rather disturbing picture of two young girls (who were “hunted” by a cougar that was later killed).  The girls can be seen smiling in front of a cougar with what appears to be a bullet hole and bloody area on its side.  It reminded me of a black and white photo I came across of a young girl, smiling, in front of jaguar that had been killed in the southern part of the United States in the early twentieth century.