SALT LAKE CITY - More than 29,000 mountain lions have been killed across the country in the past decade by trophy hunters, according to a new report. The Humane Society of the United States lists Utah among the top five states where large numbers of the big cats, also called cougars, have been hunted and killed.

Wendy Keefover, carnivore protection manager with the group, says states like Utah that allow big-cat hunts do not properly monitor their mountain lion populations.

"Utah, in their management plan, said that it was OK to hunt between 20 and 30 percent of the entire mountain lion population, but it's so out of balance," Keefover says. "Some of the best available science is saying no more than 14 percent."

Utah state wildlife officials estimate the state's mountain lion population to be as many as 4,500 cats but some conservation groups say the count could be much smaller. The Humane Society report says between 2005 and 2014, 3,200 cougars were taken in Utah, fourth among the states behind Idaho, Montana and Colorado, with Arizona in fifth place.

Keefover says the majority of mountain lions killed in trophy hunts are mounted for display, or their pelts used for rugs. She described a typical hunt.

"It's done with a pack of trailing hounds and they wear high-tech radio collars on their necks, and that allows the hunters to follow their movements on a computer," she says. "So once they get the cat into a tree or on a cliff face, then they come in and shoot the cat at close range."

The plight of big game animals was publicized last year when "Cecil," an iconic African lion, was killed in Zimbabwe by an American trophy hunter. Big game hunting is a multi-billion-dollar business worldwide, and many hunters believe that their sport contributes to conserving the species.


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Congress is considering three bills that would sidestep the Endangered Species Act to de-list the Northern Continental Divide and Yellowstone grizzly bears, and all gray wolf populations.

Erik Molvar, executive director of the Western Watersheds Project said the measures would undermine the Endangered Species Act, which requires the federal government to make listing decisions solely based on the best available science.

"And what Congress is doing here is, it's trying to take away that decision-making authority from the scientists and give it to politicians in Congress who have no qualifications as biologists or scientists to make these kinds of decisions," he said.

Brian Nesvik, Wyoming Game and Fish Department director, testified in favor of the measures that would return management of the species to states and claimed that environmental groups have been holding farmers, ranchers and government agencies hostage to continue Endangered Species Act protections.

Conservationists warn, as human activity drives what has been called Earth's sixth mass-extinction event, now is not the time to weaken a key tool to maintain the biodiversity that people also depend on.

Molvar said while there are ecosystems with nearly full recovery 1,000 grizzly bears, full recovery will require deepening their gene pool by connecting populations that are currently isolated, and will require deepening their gene pool by connecting populations that are currently isolated.

"Which makes them vulnerable to random acts of ecological disruption - like major weather events, or disease outbreaks, or other unexpected declines in population - because they are so close to the minimum number that's needed to maintain their genetic diversity," he said.

In states where wolves have been delisted - Idaho, Montana and Wyoming - Molvar said state governments have enacted aggressive wolf-killing policies, and added this is what will continue to happen if wolves are delisted in states that have no interest in preserving and recovering at-risk carnivores.

"And in Wyoming, wolf killing is allowed in 85% of the state without a hunting license, without any kind of limitations on season, without any limitation on bag limit. You can hunt them with night-vision goggles. You can run them over with snowmobiles," Molvar said.


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The Mexican Gray Wolf population in Arizona is on the rise.

For the first time since reintroduction into the wild, the population of wolves across Arizona and New Mexico sits at more than 240, with 105 of them in the Grand Canyon State.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, last year's population represents a 23% increase from the 196 wolves seen in 2021.

Craig Miller, senior representative in Arizona for the nonprofit Defenders of Wildlife, has been involved with Mexican gray wolf recovery efforts since the beginning. The group is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the wolf's reintroduction. He said collaborative efforts among agencies, conservation groups and the public are to credit for the recovery.

"At the end of the day, the decision was made to proceed with reintroduction," he said. "In 1998, I had the privilege of witnessing the return of one of the most endangered land mammals the world."

Miller said his organization over the years has managed to create partnership projects that have led to the reduction of vulnerability to wolf depredation. He added that the partnerships and projects to help the Mexican gray wolves are updated and improved every year.

Regardless of the tools used by ranchers and farmers to mitigate livestock predation, he said, there will continue to be incidents involving wolves. However, Miller stressed the tools are far less important than the partnerships that have evolved from experimenting with different management strategies.

"There are a lot of tools that we can use to reduce conflicts between wolves and livestock, but by far the best tool is the human mind," he said. "And the best way to use the human mind is by connecting with others with diverse experience and diverse perspectives."

Miller said flags, air horns, electrified fencing and strobe lights are all ways in which wolves are deterred from pursuing domestic livestock and encouraged instead to pursue natural prey.

Some $20 million of Utah's whopping $29 billion state budget will be spent on building wildlife crossings and fences across the state in an effort to keep wildlife off of highways.

Rep. Doug Owens, D-Salt Lake, said the appropriation is "non-lapsing," meaning the funds can be spent over time. Owens added the federal government needs to approve a four-to-one match, which would make a grand total of $100 million available for the projects statewide.

"That is a lot of money for fencing, and crossings and underpasses," Owens pointed out. "Hopefully we'll get all that $100 million spent here in the next few years, to keep our roadways safe."

Owens noted before the legislative session began, he asked the Utah Department of Transportation to put together a list of the top 10 hot spots where wildlife mitigation projects are needed most. He added with the estimated cost of the projects, $100 million will be enough to fund them.

An estimated 5,000 deer and 1,000 elk are involved in vehicle collisions in Utah every year.

Owens argued the number of large animal and vehicle collisions needs to come down, to prevent injuries and deaths for humans and animals alike, as well as the material damage. He called the appropriation a "win for everybody."

"Utahns incur about $130 million of expense every year fixing cars that have hit animals," Owens reported. "And that doesn't even include any of the medical costs, and even the occasional fatality of a person hitting a large animal."

Utah made history in 1975 as the first state to complete a wildlife overpass on Interstate 15 near Beaver. Since then, more than 100 projects have been executed, and Owens added he is excited to see more implemented around the state.


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