A Missouri hunter has admitted to illegally taking the life of a mountain lion that had made a nearly 800-mile journey from Nebraska to Iron County, Missouri. As reported by KSDK, the individual identified as Joseph Licklider of Desloge, Missouri, entered a guilty plea, which resulted in fines, loss of hunting privileges, and the surrender of his hunting rifle.
The slain mountain lion had been fitted with an ear tag by conservationists in Nebraska as part of a study on regional populations. These hopes for studying the feline's movements and behaviors were dashed, when instead, Licklider posted photos on Facebook with the deceased animal, leading to his conviction. According to FOX 2, prosecutors charged Licklider a month after the incident and after thorough investigation, it was determined his claim of self-defense did not hold up.
MDC requires any mountain lion killings to meet strict criteria before being considered necessary, including when they attack or kill livestock or present an immediate danger to humans. Licklider, however, reported shooting the animal from a deer hunting tree stand as it walked away, which did not meet the justified grounds. KHMO Radio covered the story of Licklider's confession, stating that the plea agreement did not include jail time but involved a year's suspension of his hunting license and a $2,000 fine.
The illegal act cut short what could have been valuable data for conservation efforts, as originally noted by the research team led by Sam Wilson, according to statements obtained by KSDK.
