Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

Mountain lion was mishandled

The death of the P-22 puma was a great loss felt by Californians. They tracked P-22 for more than a decade, when recently he became ill and had to be euthanized. The decision was based on P-22’s welfare and quality of life. The LA Times published an obituary describing his life, and several tributes were written by locals.

Las Vegas also recently euthanized a mountain lion, and mourned. The lion came into town and was spotted roaming neighborhoods. Residents kept their pets and children in for protection. Wildlife authorities captured and euthanized the mountain lion. They isolated it from the public and, instead of moving it back into the wild, they killed it, reportedly because it would not leave the area when urged to do so. Is this what will happen whenever a mountain lion is captured in Las Vegas Valley in the future?

Las Vegans didn’t know or love this specific mountain lion as P-22 was known and loved. However, the community respects wild creatures and understands that there are a limited number of them. We are disappointed in the decisions made and demand that the Nevada Department of Wildlife change its procedures to result in a more positive outcome for future visiting mountain lions.