Last Friday, a young male mountain lion was shot by a resident of Tucson, Arizona. The man found his dogs barking at the lion in his backyard, and claims that it charged him. Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) officials determined this to be a legal act of self-defense. They found the mountain lion, still alive, approximately a mile away from the scene. Officials decided to euthanize the young lion due to the severity of his injuries.
Tucson residents are well-accustomed to the presence of mountain lions in the area, with sightings documented as recently as just a few weeks prior. Under agency policy, mountain lions found to be a potential threat to human safety, such as due to behavior or location, are to be killed.