ciaobox2007

Title
Cougar Shot Dead in Chicago

Link
Video - Breaking News Videos from CNN.com
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Excerpt

Video - Breaking News Videos from CNN.com

The Associated Press | Tuesday, April 15, 2008 | 4 comment(s)



CHICAGO | Animal control experts say the cougar Chicago police shot and killed on the city's North Side is apparently a wild animal that didn't escape from captivity.

Cook County Animal and Rabies Control administrator Donna Alexander said Tuesday the cougar was a male cat with no identifying marks such as tags, tattoos or computer chips that showed it was privately owned. Police shot the large cat Monday as it ran through a residential neighborhood.

Alexander said there was a chance for an attack because it appears the cat was fending for itself. Chicago police superintendent Jody Weis lauded officers' efforts, saying there's no doubt they saved lives.

An examination found the cougar weighed 122 pounds and was 3 1/2 feet long.

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Comment:

cougar!

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what's the ratio of schrute bucks to stanley nickels?

zimmy61

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Free Parking

When I first read the thread title, I thought "Oooo, cougar." When the remainder of the title sunk in, I thought "Darn." Now, however, I am satisfied.

poetrychic

the police were getting a lot of grief over shooting it...animal rights people were up in arms...the police chief held a press conference about it today saying the cat was in a neighbourhood near an elementary school and if it had attacked and killed a bunch of kids then there would be outrage on the other foot and people would be suing the city, the police and the officials for not doing anything...i see his point, to a degree but part of me wonders why they just couldn't tranquilise it and take it back to its habitat....

i suppose given the circumstances, they did what they had to do....but the weird thing was, they did a news piece on it the other night, "cougar seen in neighbourhood" and they acted like it was impossible since the zoos didn't report a cat missing...it was like they thought someone had called in a hoax or something....

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"it was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation, yes we can!"

The_Heretic

Here's what people should be up in arms about. The fact that all this suburban development is encroaching on the cougar's habitat. And then people get all surprised'n'shit because the animal's pissed off over all the talking apes in its back yard scaring the food away.

I say they should've darted it and- since they obviously weren't going to tear down the invasive neighborhood, relocate the animal that clearly could've killed kids but opted not to.

This is a lesson to the courgars. If your home range is invaded by the apeman then take one of the hairless bitches out for they kill you on sight!

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John McCain: "He's in Iraq... with a few centuries to kill."

Kanadesaga

Too many people, one less cougar.

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"Soldiers lose their voice when they enlist. My sons spoke of that before they did enlist. That that, was a reality. And the public is their voice." Mary Tillman 5/9/08

PursuitOfHappinessParty

Nice thought, but not practical. I said the same thing when DFW police shot and killed an ape a couple (?) of years ago. It was pointed out to me that there was no way that they could effectively contain the area in time, there wasn't time or dart guns enough (guy showed me an newspaper article). That was on zoo grounds! A place with the equipment fairly close by, in a defined smallish area (comparatively).

To envelope the roaming cougar in Chicago with dart gun toting people (AC, police, any wildlife personelle) would be impossible.

I would imagine that in both cases, there were all available dart guns mixed in with those armed with traditional weapons. You see similar stories in the news all the time. I would also imagine that Chicago doesn't have guidelines or practice time for this scenario. This was a big cat and there's a school near-by.

As an aside, on the DFW zoo escape: I had a further problem. The number of shots fired by our trained policemen and those that actually hit the animal were something like 4:1 !!
And they said the ape was a danger to people near-by!

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It puts the lotion on its skin, or else it gets the hose again.

PursuitOfHappinessParty

Yeah, but you and I is peoples.
I ain't killing myself or my son.

Sucks about the cougar, I actually saw one in the wild once. Scared the piss outta me and I was in a pick-up. Not near as big as that Chicago one, makes me wonder about that 'not escaped' part.

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It puts the lotion on its skin, or else it gets the hose again.

Kanadesaga

Just a general observation about population, wouldn't even think of voluntary or involuntary reductions. Yes it does suck. In a metropolitan area such as Chicago and no veterinary services huh? No some are just shoot happy.. Like the sheriffs in NO who laughed and shot all those peoples dogs during Katrina.

If the cat was an imminent threat, then no other choice was feasible. But if it was under observation and being monitored, and not an imminent threat to anyone, they could have taken it live and relocated it. That would be the mark of a superior people, not just to wantonly kill something because it's the easiest thing to do.

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"Soldiers lose their voice when they enlist. My sons spoke of that before they did enlist. That that, was a reality. And the public is their voice." Mary Tillman 5/9/08

Jonesy

The beast enters the cave. But today, we have guns.