AR-News: (CO) Public Meetings for Input on Lion Hunting- Activists Needed

[Political Animal]

Public Input (Belatedly) Sought on 
Colorado’s Front Range Cougar Management 
Meetings: Ft. Collins, Tues, Apr 20; 
Denver, Thurs, Apr 22 (details below). 
Contacts: 
Wendy Keefover-Ring, Carnivore Protection Program
Director, Sinapu 
303.447.8655, Ext. 1, # 


Brian Miller, PhD, Coordinator of Conservation
Biology, Denver Zoo 
303.376.4944 
Denver, Colorado—Late yesterday, the Colorado Division
of Wildlife (DOW) announced that it will hold two
public meetings next Tuesday and Thursday to update
the State’s mountain lion management plan. Despite the
volatility of this issue over the past three years,
the DOW gave only a four days’ notice. Conservation
groups asked that the meetings to be postponed so that
adequate notice could be given, thus maximizing public
participation. 


Wildlife biologists and conservationists have called
on the Division of Wildlife to reduce hunting quotas
and to protect female mountain lions. Colorado’s
hunting season (mid-November through March), occurs
after most females have given birth. Mothers invest
between 11 to 16 months raising their kittens. If
orphaned before they reach nine months, the kittens
will likely die from starvation or predation. 


Last year, 189 female lions were killed in
Colorado—160 through sport harvest. At least 50
percent of adult females have dependent kittens. 


In Colorado, the number of mountain lions killed by
sport hunters has increased by about 400 percent since
1980. According to the DOW’s data, in 1980, sport
hunters killed 81 cats compared with a record high of
439 in 2001. In 2003, sport hunters killed 370 cats,
43 percent were females. The State’s total lion
mortality was 427, including 186 females, 46% of the
total. 


While the State restricts or prohibits killing females
of other game species such as deer, while their young
remain dependent, the hunting season for lions occurs
right after lions’ peak birth pulse--resulting in
frequent kitten orphaning. 


Moreover, the State has no population data for this
species, which occurs in extraordinarily low
densities. 
“Currently, the state uses anecdotal data from lion
hunters to estimate the population,” said Wendy
Keefover-Ring of Sinapu. “More than guess work is
needed to preserve these rare golden cats, which are
part of a balanced ecosystem. We have requested a
science-based approach for the past three years.” 


As a result of public pressure, last June, the DOW
hired a premier mountain lion biologist and noted
author, Dr. Kenneth Logan. At the April 2004 Wildlife
Commission hearing in Ft. Collins, Dr. Logan discussed
his 10-year plan to study a portion of the cougar
population near Grand Junction. 


“No state knows how many cougars they have, because
counting them is difficult under present scientific
techniques, which are expensive and time consuming”
said Dr. Brian Miller, Coordinator of Conservation
Biology for the Denver Zoo. “Dr. Logan’s study,” he
added, “will eventually shed some light and give the
state empirical data to inform management. Meanwhile,
I recommend erring on the side of caution until that
data come.” 


“Because females go unprotected in Colorado, the death
of a mother cat likely results in frequent kittens
orphaning and eventual death,” said Keefover-Ring. “So
for every mother cat killed, the result can be the
death of 3 to 4 mountain lions.” 


“These golden cats are killed in astonishingly high
numbers across the West by trophy hunters,” said Wendy
Keefover-Ring of Sinapu. “Add to that, their habitat
is fragmenting. We all need to work towards protecting
cougars and their habitat. We owe it to our children
and grandchildren.” 


MEETINGS: 


Ft. Collins, (6-9 pm) Tuesday, April 20th at the Ft.
Collins Holiday Inn, 425 W. Prospect Avenue. 


Denver, (6-9 pm) Thursday, April 22nd, at the DOW’s
Hunter Safety Building, 6060 Broadway. 


Format is “open house”. Public has been asked arrive
and to speak to individual DOW personnel. They have
not indicated how they will record the public’s input.
Although the DOW press release welcomes written
comments, they have not told the public where to send
them. 



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