Iowa DNR euths female lion

[Emily]

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/ ... 432287001/

DNR kills mountain lion in northwest Iowa
Charly Haley , chaley@dmreg.com Published 12:38 p.m. CT June 27, 2017 | Updated 1:10 p.m. CT June 27, 2017
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(Photo: Iowa DNR Conservation Officer Kirby Bragg/Special to the Register)
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The Iowa Department of Natural Resources killed a mountain lion near a farm in Ida County on Tuesday, according to a news release.

It was the first female mountain lion found in Iowa, said Vince Evelsizer, furbearer biologist with the Iowa DNR. Since 1995, there have been 21 mountain lions in Iowa confirmed by the DNR.

The first sign of this mountain lion came late last week when a farmer near the northwest Iowa town of Galva reported finding a dead calf that appeared to have been attacked by a large cat, the DNR said in its news release. Then on Monday evening, the farm's neighbors called 911 multiple times after seeing the mountain lion.

DNR officers responded to the scene, where they found the mountain lion in a tree, Evelsizer said. There were several people around, watching, as well as dogs barking, he said.

The mountain lion's close proximity to people and livestock, as well as the calves that had already reportedly been killed, led the DNR officers to determine it was necessary to shoot the mountain lion, Evelsizer said. Lethal action is "the last resort" for DNR officers, the news release said.

"For this one, it was deemed as a bit of a human safety threat and a livestock threat," Evelsizer said. "It's unfortunate that it was shot, but you had to make a decision." Evelsizer was not at the scene, but commented as he was on his way to examine the mountain lion's carcass.

"In this situation, it appears this mountain lion has targeted young livestock and livestock producers are well within their rights to protect their livelihood,” Bruce Trautman, DNR deputy director, said in the news release.

It would have been difficult to tranquilize the mountain lion while it was so close to people, because if the chemical did not work, the mountain lion could become aggressive, Evelsizer said. He added that mountain lions do not always survive when they're tranquilized and then released alone into an area where other mountain lions live.

Mountain lions in Iowa generally come from western South Dakota and Nebraska, which both have natural mountain lion populations, he said. The animals are uncommon in Iowa.


In examining the mountain lion's carcass, the DNR will collect teeth, tissue samples and will examine the contents of the animal's stomach, according to the news release.

Evelsizer reiterated that it's "very notable" that this was the first female mountain lion found in Iowa. "We haven't had any documented mountain lion breeding in Iowa," he said.

This is the fourth mountain lion killed in Iowa, as reported to the DNR, including animals killed by residents and one shot in Des Moines by police in 2012. Before Tuesday, a mountain lion had not been killed in Iowa since 2013, when one was shot in Sioux County, the DNR said.