Show Officers' Officers Efforts Save Life Of Cougar Utah has one more live cougar thanks to the efforts of two Conservation Officers of the Utah State Division of ot Wildlife Wildlife Wild Wild- life Ufe Resources and a coyote trapper who didn't want to kill the young lion Hon On his regular inspection round the trapper discovered he he had caught a young half-grown half cougar in ina ina ina a trap that was set for coyotes He didn't want to shoot the animal but he didn't know how to release 50 pounds of fighting fighting fighting fight fight- ing fury from a trap that had hada a pinching hold on two front toes The trapper contacted Harold Blackburn and Kenneth Tuttle Tuttle wildlife conservation officers of officers of- of from Sanpete County who accompanied him back to the area early the next morning They found the young cougar still full of fighting spirit By pulling a wire loop through an foot 8 length of pipe one of f the officers tightened the loop around the lions lion's neck while theother the theother theother other officer grabbed the long longtail longtail longtail tail so the trapper could release the trap Tracks In the area clearly indicated that the mother lion and one or two other young lions from the same litter Utter had returned return return- ed gd d to the area are during the night and would be close by the next I day The family would be re reunited reunited reunited re- re I united after the release The young cougar would be much wiser and except for an empty stomach and a sore toe he was not harmed Several years ago when trappers trappers trappers trap trap- pers found young cougars in their traps the animals were killed and a bounty was col col- N Now ow there are few cougar cougar cougar cou cou- gar left and they are protected by a state law The officers commended the trapper for his Interest and help helpin in releasing the young cougar Blackburn commented that itis it itis its is s good just to know that there are still a few cougar around 1 |