Mountain lions are eating California wild donkeys. Why scientists say this is a good thing View Full Caption Shutterstock
CALIFORNIA — The carcasses are everywhere, and so are the mummified remains of donkeys and more than 30 Mountain lions.
According to the United States Geological Survey, the mountain lions in California are a “disaster.” At the beginning of March there were nearly 17,000 of these hungry carnivores, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
“Not surprisingly the number has fallen since then, but it still accounts for more than 14,000 mountain lions,” said a recent news item on the California Department of Fish and Wildlife website.
“A few of the carcasses are very large, others are little. Still others are mummified,” the article reads.
According to the Sierra Wave News, the death rate is more than two-thirds of the population dying. There are about 10,000 horses in the state who are also at risk.
“California’s mountain lion population has declined by 80 percent over the past 20 years, according to data from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife,” the article reads.
“The animals are being killed mainly by car, but they do have their claws and teeth and are not immune to attack. Many mountain lions are killed by dogs who get too close at night.”
A team of researchers from the University of California at Davis said the animals are dying because of the “massacre” of humans.
“In the past 18 months, mountain lions in parts of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and Idaho have been shot by hunters and landowners,” the article reads.
“More than 70 percent of the population is estimated to be killed. The number of animals dying has been increasing at an alarming rate. So far this year, at least five mountain lion carcasses have been found in Nevada, two in Oregon and one in Colorado.”
The team’s new study, which was published in the journal Science, found that “naturally occurring mountain lion populations that remain in or near areas of human settlement