Lion sighting in Milwaukee

[hunter63]

Don't worry about the bears.....Lion sighting over the week end.....lots of people looking for a possible mom and cub.

Milwaukee County Zoo says.....We have all our accounted for......

http://www.scrippsmedia.com/tmj4/new...318566471.html

Made national news tonight.

[Rick]

Someone probably turned them loose. Folks buy into those exotic animals and when they realize they can't afford them or they simply get too big or too dangerous they just open the pen and let them go. They should be staking out the owners and let them pay for all the police and DNR time.

[hunter63]

It's not illegal to own exotic animals in Wisconsin....Milwaukee yes, city law.

Some one already shot a pit bull on the leg...saying they thought it was the lion.(Dumas)

[tundrabadger]

I read somewhere that there are more tigers privately owned in the united states than there are in the wild. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a similar number of privately owned lions.

I imagine buying a lion seems like a really *fantastic* idea at the time, but keeping one isn't anywhere near as fun as you'd think.

[natertot]

What saddens me about this is that an innocent dog has already been hurt and the lion(s) will most likely end up dead. All because of human stupidity.

[hunter63]

In this case I do feel for the lion.....and the dog.
Hopefully it get resolved....but you saw in the vid....all the police with rifles.

[natertot]

In this case I do feel for the lion.....and the dog.
Hopefully it get resolved....but you saw in the vid....all the police with rifles.

Yeah, but I don't fault the police either. Police are not trained or equipped to handle exotic animals and at the same time public expects them to provide protection from these animals. That only gives them one option, rifles........

[Rick]

As much as I'd hate to do it if I were LEO and had to face a lion my first move would be a weapon. "Here, kitty, kitty," would not be a good approach. A private farm in Ohio released several exotic animals then the owner shot himself. All of the animals were killed. I think Natertot posted on that. The news is saying they want to tranquilize the animal. Good luck with that. From the cell phone video it sure looks like a female lion. A bit blurry so it could be Big Foot.

[TXyakr]

Possible it was someone's pet African lion, but my guess is that it was a pet mountain lion (puma) that got lose from a poor quality enclosure. Cats and other animals typically get more elusive when they are pregnant. I would not want to get between it and cub. IMO fines for improper exotic habitat enclosures etc. should be much higher. Perhaps people of Milwaukee will reconsider if cost of this "hunt" is released.

I once found a very young Bobcat whose mother and siblings had died of poison but it died before I could get it to animal rescue place. Absolutely no way I would have kept it as a pet. Once had ocelot pet which did not work out well. Have had puma mother and large juvenile near my camp, never considered shooting either. Not a real concern for my safety. Also had Bobcat mother and juvenile outside window of my home in suburbia. Me and neighbors notice benificial reduction in feral cats, but about same number of rabbits, which breed like ...

After decades of foolish trapping and relocating now city has official policy posted online that people need to keep pets on leash and in enclosures protected. Native predators are beneficial and will be left alone where they are by city's animal control officers. Talked to one who is daughter in law of a friend, she said most she sees often are on golf courses near creeks. If residents use firearms they can be arrested for a felony, so educate yourself. I paraphased on line policy but y'all can Google.

More domestic pets and people accidentally shot by reckless discharge of a firearm than a truly dangerous predator killed by some civilian shooting one in the city or suburbia.

[Rick]

911 what's your emergency.
Uh, yeah, I just saw a lion.
A lion?
I'm not lyin'.
What's your name, sir?
Ryan.
But you said a lion.
Yeah. It was just liein' there.
A liein' lion? Is that right Ryan?
Exactly. The lion was liein' on the lawn.
A lawn liein' lion, Ryan? I'm not pryin' but who is that cryin'?
My wife is cryin'. I thought I was diein'.
Is that because of the lawn liein' lion? Just try to remain calm.
I'm tryin'.
All right Ryan. We'll send officer O'Bryan. What is your last name, Ryan?
Alexander.

[crashdive123]

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[Sarge47]

Sheesh Rick! Man, they don't pay me enough for this!...

[Rick]

Wait....we get paid?!

[natertot]

Wait....we get paid?!

Well, for you we sent a bill. Might have gone to collections.

[Rick]

When Bill gets back from collections tell him I haven't gotten a check. Thanks.

[hunter63]

"Alexander?"....Wot up with Alexander?

[kyratshooter]

Now you guys have me worried.

I do not have an appropriate "lion rifle".

I have seen what those suckers can do and how much lead they can take in the process.

We are going to definitely go up to .338 Winmag, or maybe .375 H&H.

Where did you say this was, Milwaukee?

How fast can a lion cover 1000 miles anyway, are they faster than UPS?

[hunter63]

All you need is a .22....read it on the interweb...will kill anything on the planet....it's all about sight picture, and trigger smoothness....

[Faiaoga]

I will copy an old beer commercial and call this "the lion that made Milwaukee famous". Sorry about that.

[natertot]

I do not have an appropriate "lion rifle".

HAHAHAHA! You of all people should have 1 or 7 laying around that are suitable for lions!