Submitted by willynillyslide t3_10ekqjh in vermont
[deleted] t1_j5uhbz8 wrote
Reply to comment by endeavour3d in Vermont listed as possible future habitat for mountain lions by willynillyslide
27 fatalities for cougars, 21 for wolves. That's a very small difference. There are also about twice as many cougars in the US as wolves, so that seems to be mostly related to their population difference and possibly variance.
But there's just one flaw in that logic: unlike wolves, cougars live very close to humans out west, especially in California and Colorado. There are urban mountain lion populations in Los Angeles and the Bay Area. Millions of people hike in foothills where mountain lions live, and while sightings are common, attacks are extraordinarily rare. When they do happen, it's typically a juvenile lion that tragically mauls a small child who wandered too far away from their adult humans. Cats are ambush predators. They generally only pick easy fights, and humans aren't easy prey.
Wolves live nowhere near people, for the most part. Eastern coyotes are also wolf hybrids, and are closely related. My aunt was actually attacked by a coyote pack in MA. Packs of coyotes have killed small dogs being walked by women. They are far bolder than mountain lions. Also, just look at what a huge political issue wolves have become out west, now that the wolves aren't on the brink of extinction anymore. Ranchers want to kill every last one of them all over again, because wolves have no fear of humans.
I suppose no one is really that objective about this topic, though. Mostly comes down to whether you like domestic cats or dogs more. Either wild variant will kill you if you pick a fight with one, without a stick that goes boom. At any rate, nature needs another apex predator around here. If nature picks the big doggos, so be it. I'd just prefer the big kitties.
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