Callers might have cried wolf - but cat call a big event
It was about 30 years ago and the division I was in dealt primarily with wildlife that was sick, injured or in direct conflict with people. Daily, I handled raccoons, skunks, deer, snakes, foxes and occasionally everything from salamanders to mountain lions to bats to seals. It was a great job and I loved it. It was not uncommon to have to respond to 10 or more calls in a 10-hour shift. I constantly was moving.
It was surprising how little some people knew about wildlife. We would respond to a 15-foot python report which turned out to be a 4-foot gopher snake or a bobcat in the kid's playhouse that ended up being the neighbor's orange tabby.
So, when I got the call of a mountain lion dragging a 20-foot chain through a mall parking lot, I really didn't expect a mountain lion. However, when I pulled into the mall lot and saw a big crowd, I started to become apprehensive.
Standing perfectly at ease with the crowd was the biggest mountain lion I had ever seen. He was sporting a heavy chain attached to a thick collar. The first thing we were taught in wildlife school is to assess whether or not there really is a problem. I came to the conclusion that there was indeed a problem - a real mountain lion.
Surrounded by people; it was a big problem. The next thing we were taught was to contain the problem. Great. The biggest cage I had wouldn't come close. I had to do something, fast.
I walked up to the cat and paused a few steps away. "Hi kitty," I said. His immensely large teeth glinted in the sunlight. Looking down, I noticed no claws. Breathing only slightly easier, I picked up the chain and walked the big cat over to the truck. Opening the passenger side door, I told the cat to jump in. To my amazement, he did.
I shut the door and breathed a big sigh of relief. Problem contained. Now what? I sure as heck wasn't going to drive up the freeway with him sitting shotgun.
Just then, a distraught looking man ran up to me. "You found my cat,'' he said. "Thank God!''
It seems the cat, the Mercury cougar from the TV commercials, was on his way to a photo shoot when his handler pulled into the mall to grab a bite to eat. The cat pushed the screen out of the window of the motor home and went for a walk.
It was a short walk for him but an incredible memory for me. I'll never forget how my scalp prickled as I walked up to that cat. And I never prematurely discounted another big cat call again.
Terry Jester is a nationally recognized companion animal behaviorist. To learn more about companion animal training, visit www.rockymountainrawhide.com. For questions about your own pet, call Jester at (970) 568-7585 or send e-mail to arriniranch@aol.com.-
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