A Missouri man illegally killed a mountain lion in November, underscoring the need for coexistence
Mountain lions are one of North America’s most iconic carnivores—and one of the most misunderstood. A story broke last week detailing how, in November, a Missouri man illegally killed a mountain lion that had traveled more than 400 miles on a journey as the lion searched for a territory to call home.
While hunting in the Ozark Highlands—an area of rolling hills and deep forests—a man spotted a mountain lion passing under his tree stand. Instead of marveling at the rare sight of this state-listed threatened species, he decided to shoot it—an act that blatantly violates Missouri law. Adding insult to injury, the man then posed for trophy photos with the slain animal, treating the unlawful killing as a moment of personal triumph (and proving once again that mountain lions are just trophies to this population of people). Mountain lions are a rare and protected species in Missouri, and their presence should be celebrated, not exploited.
This event is as tragic as it is absurd, and it raises serious questions. Why would someone’s first instinct be to kill a rare and protected animal, rather than appreciate its presence or report the sighting to authorities?
The incident also underscores a lack of hunting ethics. Firearm safety 101 says to always know your target before you pull the trigger. By killing a threatened species that the man was not authorized to hunt, this individual ignored one of the most basic tenets of firearm safety and ethical hunting. This man ignored all the laws governing his hunt. He didn’t have a permit. He wasn’t in danger. Instead, he watched the lion walk by and as it walked away, decided he wanted a trophy, leading him to pull the trigger.
The decision to pose for trophy photos compounds the outrage. Instead of showing remorse or acknowledging the significance of taking the life of a threatened animal, the man’s actions reflect a troubling attitude that treats wildlife, especially carnivores, as trophies and conquests rather than living beings deserving of respect.
While the fact that this Missouri man illegally killed a mountain lion should remain a focus, this incident underscores the broader challenges mountain lions face in a human-dominated world:
- Habitat loss and fragmentation: Urban development and agriculture have drastically reduced the range of mountain lions, forcing them into smaller territories and increasing encounters with humans. This mountain lion actually dispersed from Nebraska, traveling over 400 miles to southeast Missouri before she was killed.
- Persecution and misunderstanding: Mountain lions are often vilified as dangerous predators. Misconceptions about their behavior fuel unnecessary killings, even though attacks on humans are exceedingly rare.
- Hunting and poaching: Despite their protected status in some regions, illegal killings like this one remain a significant threat to mountain lion populations. Legal hunting of rebounding populations, such as Nebraska’s lions, also threatens regional recovery. Much of their historic habitat, especially across the East and Midwest, remain unoccupied.
Mountain lions hold intrinsic and ecological value, yet many people aren’t aware of just how important these big cats are. As apex predators, mountain lions play a critical role in maintaining healthy prey populations and therefore healthy ecosystems. By controlling populations of herbivores like deer, they help prevent overgrazing and reduce levels of disease within herds, which supports biodiversity and healthy ecosystems.
Beyond their ecological role, mountain lions have intrinsic value. These creatures are a testament to wildness and resilience, and their presence enriches the landscapes they inhabit. Killing them unnecessarily diminishes not only their existence but also the natural heritage they represent.
Perhaps a better question is, why Is violence so often people’s first instinct when it comes to wildlife? This incident in Missouri reflects a broader cultural issue: the default reaction to wildlife encounters is often fear or dominance. For some, seeing a mountain lion sparks an urge to shoot, driven by outdated narratives that frame predators as enemies rather than integral parts of the ecosystem.
It’s important to note this mindset is not isolated to Missouri. In Colorado, a mountain lion in Greeley was recently cornered by police after it accidentally entered a town and crossed onto the grounds of a school. Instead of waiting for Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers to assist, the untrained-in-wildlife-encounters police force cornered the animal into a “containment area,” leaving the animal no chance for escape or coexistence. They shot the mountain lion as he tried to escape.
The decision to kill or harass first and think later reveals how far we still have to go in fostering a culture of coexistence. While the safety of the public must be a priority, it should also be commonsense to always attempt proven coexistence strategies that keep wildlife and people safe. The failure to do so highlight our society’s overall lack of understanding and empathy for these animals, whose survival depends on humans giving them space rather than treating them as threats to be eliminated.
It’s clear that to better coexist with mountain lions, we need more education on wildlife laws, ethical hunting, and the importance of coexistence, particularly for hunters and communities in regions with established mountain lion populations and high likelihood of dispersing individuals.
We also need to strengthen protections. Mountain lions in Missouri and other states need more robust enforcement of protections, along with public messaging to emphasize the legal and ecological consequences of harming these animals.
Coexistence has to be the default, not the exception. By fostering a culture that values wildlife as part of our shared ecosystem, we can shift attitudes from fear and exploitation to understanding and respect.The deaths of these mountain lions are tragedies that could have been avoided. Instead of killing or cornering these animals, we should be working to ensure their survival in a world that is increasingly challenging for them.
Mountain lions are more than just symbols of wildness—they are key players in the health of our ecosystems and creatures with intrinsic worth. The next time someone encounters a mountain lion—or any wildlife—their first thought should not be to harm but to appreciate, understand, and protect.
Let’s honor the wild by choosing coexistence over violence.