I want to help get out the word about an important film being put on by the Park City Film Series and Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter on April 23. “Heart of a Lion” follows the world’s leading expert on mountain lions, biologist Dr, Mark Elbroch, National Geographic explorer in residence, as he studies two mountain lion mothers for over a decade. It captures behaviors never before seen on camera.    There will be a post-film discussion with Elbroch and Denise Peterson from Utah Mountain Lion Conservation.  This is really important, especially in view of Utah Wildlife officials’ December announcement of an aggressive three-year mountain lion removal study paying hunters and trappers to kill as many mountain lions as possible in six of 30 units.  This includes the usage of snares, which are dangerous and cruel for other animals and pets.  It is supposed to study how predator removal affects deer and bighorn sheep populations. It is funded in part by sportsmen’s groups.  Meanwhile, cougar populations have been falling. Their numbers in 2016 were felt to be about 1,900 and now are felt to be about 1,100. I recall years ago when their numbers were in the 2000s.    For years the number of permits for cougar hunting seemed to be going up. I went to meetings about this. In 2020, a state bill passed that ordered the Division of Wildlife Resources to cull predators when deer and elk numbers fell below a certain level.    In 2023 a last minute amendment of a wildlife bill suddenly allowed anyone with a general hunting license to kill mountain lions on any day of the year with no limits. We are in an apparent trend to exterminate these animals. Utah has a thing against predators.  Meanwhile, there is evidence that mountain lions kill sick and weak animals and help in getting rid of deer with chronic wasting disease, a disease similar to mad cow disease, which is in our area. And there are studies showing mule deer populations are most affected by weather and habitat loss. A 2010 study in Idaho showed killing mountain lions did not affect deer populations, but that the severity of current and previous winters was what affected them most.  This new Utah study will be deemed effective if mule deer populations increase during the three years of killing as many mountain lions as possible. One of my concerns is that if winters continue to be mild for this three-year period and deer populations rise as expected in milder winters, will Utah say it’s because they killed our mountain lions and will they decide to wipe them out in all 30 units?    Already we are seeing young mountain lions that have likely lost their mothers, go into populated areas trying to find food which is honestly dangerous for humans and pets.  Indiscriminately killing all mountains at any time of the season, including mothers with kittens, is simply wrong and may have very bad consequences.  I am ashamed of our state and hope many people will take the time to learn more about this and raise their voices against the extermination of these iconic animals from Utah.  Jean Tabin Park City The post A bad study appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less