The farmer saw the mountain lion with his own two eyes. Like I said it must have been a big tom cat that killed and started to eat his calf. That is what they call the mountain lion in pictures that people have taken. Believe me it is not a tom cat.

Years back a local farmer askeda wildlife offical if they were bringing back the wolf. Whenhe asked whythe farmerreplied he saw one. They toldthe farmerhe needed to have his eyes checked. Then they said it was a big coyote. The more they talked, the moresarcastic thewildlife officals became to the farmer. They did not like it when the farmer said if it was just a big coyote it can be shot. Not long after that they admitted there were wolves in the area. There are some good wildlife officials, but there is a good portion that are not honest and treat the locals like they are idiots. As I stated earlier, this puts all their reports in question. I also questionif deathsin recent years from wild animals have not been recorded improperly or not recorded at all. I don't put it past some (not all as some are honest and very good)of the officals to slant the numbers in their favor (having a human death from a wild animal does not look good on their record - even worse for multiple deaths). I would not doubt that deaths from mountain lions is not at least5 times the level recorded if not more. How many REPORTED deaths/attacks in the last 5 to 7 years? The mountain lion has been known to kill animals 10 to 15 timesits body weight.

Regarding falling off a cliff, did they fall off a cliff due to an attack or being chased/hunted by a wild animal? Hard to do an autopsy with a "conclusive" findingwhen the evidence that is needed is gone (eaten) or too badly decomposed.

What you call the "classic dog argument" is fact. You don't wake up a dog by touching it, you don't start to touch a dog while it is eating, you don't make sudden moves around a dog that does not know you well, you don't tease the dog,you don't make eye contact with a dog that does not know you well, you don't have young children around pets unless they are supervised - teaching how to correctly touch, handle and communicate withthe animal. If you want a sure way to get bitten by a dog, make a quick/aggresive move arounda dog that is protective/territorial anddoes not know you well. Dogs with females and/or children are protective. Farm dogs are very protective and territorial.

A stray dog does not stay a stray dog for long. It is taken in by animal control, taken in by someone else or killed. A mountain lion stays a mountain lion.

Regarding the mountain lion is Chicago. Wildlife officials admit that whenamountain lion has no fear of humans, it will attack. If it had not been killed, it would have only been a matter of time before it attacked or killedsomeone. Even the wildlife officials where I am from have stated it is only a matter of time before one attacks a person. Some of the locals have had close calls.

Most black bear attacks are from two main causes. They have fed the bear, or the bear felt they were a threat to its cubs.

If you do a statistical analysis of deaths and attacks from dogs vs. deaths and attacks from mountain lions, I would not doubt that the mountain lions would show to be more aggressive and dangerous. If peoplerespected dogs like theyrespect mountain lions, the attacks/deaths from dogs would be much lower.

Yes, there is a risk of being attacked by a wild animal while being outdoors. This is why ALL areas and states should have concealed carry. Cougars are vicious animals. It is in their nature to kill, and they do it often to survive.