Border Patrol agent dodges bullet in brush with cougar

Scripps Howard News Service ^ | October 4, 2007

[george76]

A U.S. Border Patrol agent escaped a close encounter with one of the border's most dangerous characters. No, not an armed drug smuggler, but a mountain lion — that fierce predator at the top of the food chain.

The agent was on routine foot patrol Tuesday afternoon when he climbed down beneath a bridge into the Santa Cruz River bed east of Lochiel, about 65 miles southeast of Tucson.

It is likely that mountain lions that live in Mexico also roam north into the United States. Suddenly he found himself within about 8 feet of a mountain lion...

The lion charged the agent.

Fearing for his safety — mountain lions have attacked people in Arizona and killed people in California — the agent drew his gun and fired.

The cougar fled.

The agent, whose name the agency didn't release, emerged from the close encounter without a scratch...

Encounters with wild animals aren't unheard of for agents who spend a lot of time alone in remote areas...

[in the Arena]

In Arizona it’s a $13 over the counter tag...shoot away...

[Migraine]

The big cats usually don’t attack humans. This one must have discovered that humans are easy prey... maybe from struggling/dying illegal alien immigrants in the wastelands?

Well, Major Owens says that the sharks still feed along the Atlantic crossing route...

[dschapin]

Mountain lions are very alert and secrative. They have good enough hearing that I am sure the mountain lion knew the agent was there long before he arrived. The only time you see a mountain lion up so close and personal is if they are stalking you. Any lion that is so aggressive is a threat to humans and is very likely to attack again. Its next victim may be a poor hiker or a biker like in CA. Hopefully, they will use dogs to track down and eliminate this Cougar before it attacks again.

[webheart]

I have to disagree the mountain lion is at the top of the food chain.

Being at the top of the food chain means that there are no predators that eat them. Cougars are not a source of food for anything other than carrion animals, after they die. I'm sure cougars have eaten humans before, so that puts them above us.

[Spktyr]

We should breed many, many, many more and deploy them along the border. :D

[maine-iac7]

That is the worst “Headline of the day”.

LOL -That it is - I anxiously read the story, curious to find out about this pistol packing cougar...

[live+let_live]

Great idea for a horror movie. Mountain Lions eat immigrants in the desert. Goes on for months, years since no one is around to report the missing persons. Boy Scouts find a large bone pile in a den. Only then does the horror become known.

Jaws meets Grapes of Wrath.

[maine-iac7]

It's especially rare for them to attack with firearms.

[tubebender]

Is this a better headline... Deputy dodges bullets, kills coyote

[RDTF]

and you left out the rest - that’s where they find Jimmy Hoffa!

[live+let_live]

Top of the food chain arguments can only be decided if distance is included in the equation.

At 80 feet the armed man is top of the food chain.
At 8 feet the mountain lion is top of the food chain.

[sure_fine]

he needs a mule down there

[org.whodat]

Poor Border Patrol dude will probably get thrown into prison for shooting at a protected species....heck, that’s as bad as shooting a drug dealer in the ass.

Hope the hell it was a clean miss and he didn't throw the spent hull away.

[Howie]

[george76]

lol

Beautiful.

[pepperdog]

A gun totin’ mountain lion? Who’d thunk it.

[george76]

Planet of the Mountain Lions ?

[Regulator]

George L. MountainLion is still out there...

BTW....did the lion get an attorney yet?

[Carry_Okie]

Fearing for his safety — mountain lions have attacked people in Arizona and killed people in California — the agent drew his gun and fired.

The cougar fled.

The agent, whose name the agency didn't release, emerged from the close encounter without a scratch...

It doesn't say anything about whether he's been relieved of duty and sent out for target practice until his aim improves.

[Man50D]

Being at the top of the food chain means that there are no predators that eat them. Cougars are not a source of food for anything other than carrion animals, after they die.

Being at the top of the food chain means a specie has far more ability to kill than any other animal. It is much easier for a human to kill a cougar than a cougar to kill a human. Humans could and would use any animal as a food source, including cougars, if the choice(s) were limited enough. Humans choose not to eat Cougar only because it is not necessary since the are is a wide enough variety of other food sources.