[jimboburnsy]

I don't really see how a predator like a mountain lion can be tolerated in a suburban or urban residential area. Big cats are pretty rangy, but he's not going to pass through if there is an abundance of easy meals like domestic cats and dogs, fat squirrels, etc. etc. and it is an eventuality that a resident big cat will make an attempt on, for example, a toddler if he isn't discouraged. Further, whoever makes the call to dart the cat and release him elsewhere is accepting potentially enormous civil liability. This wasn't pretty, but it wasn't wrong either.

It's a common misconception that wolves, coyotes and lions have a natural fear of humans. They have (or had) that fear due to centuries of severe pressure with the intent of depopulating large mammallian predators. By closing seasons and/or not issuing tags for wolf and cougar, you effective embolden them. They don't see humans as an antagonist and learn that they are associated with an abundance of food, thereby becoming problematic. The unintended consequences are always the ones that bite the worst.

[BlackShoe]

If indeed the animal was a 3 year old male, at 80 pounds that is very small. While a tom cougar does not usually reach it's maximum weight until age 4 or 5, at that age it will weigh 120-180 pounds, with most between 130-150 pounds. At 3, the cougar should have been well over a hundred pounds, the fact that it was so light would seem to indicate that the cat was diseased, starving, or both.

[Coldjensens]

I understand there are circumstances where they may have to kill an animal in this type of situation, but why hit it with pepper balls and a fire hose? Were they trying to see how angry they could make it? That certainly is not going to make it go to sleep.

They do not have a net?

I am surprised the policemen were able to hit it with a gun. I wonder how many dozen shots they had to take?