Lions are a hunter's best friend

The ballot measure to protect mountain lions from trophy hunting and bobcats from baiting and fur trapping is a crucial step toward protecting the state’s billion-dollar deer and elk hunting and wildlife-watching industries from the devastating effects of chronic wasting disease (CWD). 

CWD is a neurodegenerative disease posing a significant threat to Colorado’s deer, elk and moose. It is transmitted through direct contact or exposure to contaminated environment  (42 of 51 deer herds and 17 of 42 elk herds in the state are infected). 

Mountain lions and bobcats play a vital role in regulating ungulate populations and in cleansing them of CWD. Continuing to sanction highly commercialized trophy hunting and commercial fur trapping of native cats in Colorado will mean 500 fewer lions and 2,000 fewer bobcats to cleanse CWD-infected cervids and ultimately to strengthen the health and viability of deer and elk populations. 

Over the 50-year horizon, if we keep these commercial kills of native cats going, CWD mortality may increase to the point that hunting of deer and elk in parts of Colorado will no longer be possible. Given that all human attempts to control CWD have failed, mountain lions are a deer and elk hunter’s best friend. 

In the coming decades, CWD will become a bigger and bigger national issue far beyond Colorado, especially if it becomes zoonotic and infects people or livestock, like CWD’s first cousin, Mad Cow Disease, did 25 years ago. 

By protecting mountain lions and bobcats from wasteful trophy hunts and fur traps, Colorado is taking a proactive approach to prevent the spread of CWD. This decision aligns with the growing consensus among wildlife experts and conservationists that the health of our ecosystems depends on the preservation of all species, including predators. 

Learn more about the vital role of mountain lions to combat CWD in Colorado – a disease without a cure that is always fatal.

–Dr. Jim Keen, DVM, Director of Veterinary Sciences for The Center for a Humane Economy