lion impaled on fence (OR)

[Emily]

http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/local/97095249.html
click link for pic

EUGENE, Ore., - A rescue turned into a mission of mercy Thursday morning at a bison ranch northwest of Eugene.

A female cougar got stuck after being impaled in an attempt to jump a fence.

What began as a possible wildlife rescue mission Thursday morning changed tone as state police on scene elected to put the injured animal down.

A state trooper shot and killed the cougar.

[FullCryHounds]

What a waste. No reason that lion couldn't have been released. Put up a piece of plywood against the fence on the other side, drive up to it in a truck and stand on the bed, lift up the leg and its free. The only reason they killed this cat was because they've all seen too many hollywood movies of vicious lions and bears attacking everything they see.

[George Streepy]

Lion and bears are fairly scary to people that haven't been around them. Both have made my knees a little shaky at times. I am sure they could have figured something out, unless the iron fence was stuck into something more than its leg.

[high desert hounds]

Plenty where that one came from

[Kevin D]

Not real surprising that they put it down. If Oregon is like Utah, they don't try to rehabilitate injured or orphaned cougars. I have a friend that is a biologist for the DWR and he's told me that occaisionally people have come by the DWR regional office with a box full of orphaned lion cubs that they'd found. My buddy told me they thank the citizens for their concern, then take the lion cubs out back and shoot them. It's a mean world out there.

[Tim Pittman]

The iron on the fence entered just back of the paunch area and right thru the tendons on the leg.On the news,it looked as though the leg was just caught,but that was not the case.
Tim

[007pennpal]

If I was the buffalo rancher, i'd be upset if they let that cat go. Not something you see everyday but these things are becoming more common around Oregon. I think it is a sign of the population explosion of lions in our state. I'm out in them thar hills every day and from the tracks, there almost isn't an area holding both male and female lions. The headline should read. Voters we need your help. Let the sportsmen of oregon run dogs for lions. Lots of areas with snow have more lion tracks than deer tracks. It's a wonder we still have deer. Does anyone have the hunter success ratios for deer and elk over the years that hounding has been banned?
Sean Michael