From The Arizona Republic, some new thoughts on the Tucson mountain lions. An excerpt:
Ironically, the source of the problem isn’t animal behavior. When people in urbanizing areas near the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area began feeding the wildlife, it led to an unusually large prey base compared with similar habitats that are not sliced by the urban edge, say Game and Fish biologists.
The prey attracted the lions that became a problem, and new lions will move down the mountain to replace any that are removed – unless people stop feeding prey animals, such as javelina.
It’s the people who need to be managed and, unlike the old Game and Fish constituency of anglers and hunters, these people do not have an outdoorsman’s understanding of wildlife. Nor do these city folks foot the bill. Game and Fish is funded almost entirely through the sale of hunting and fishing licenses and federal excise taxes on sporting goods.