Men try to rescue lion cub, get ticketed for their trouble
Pot bust follows dangerous effort to save injured cat
By Christine Reid, Camera Staff Writer February 1, 2005
She was named "Busted" — partly because of her condition when three men found her in the middle of U.S. 36 and partly because the men got ticketed while trying to save her life.
The 65-pound mountain lion cub — guessed to be about 4 or 5 months old — was picked up by three friends on the way home from dinner last week in Estes Park. She had to be euthanized later, Division of Wildlife officials said.
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And in return for their rescue attempt, two of the men were ticketed for possessing marijuana and a pipe.
"We knew that was a possibility," said Jason Lee Laird, 21, of Firestone. "But it was worth it."
The men had just passed through Pinewood Springs around 8 p.m. on Jan. 26 when they saw something in the middle of the road.
"It looked up as if to say, 'Help me,'" Laird said.
And so the men — guessing the cat was a bobcat or lynx — decided to save her from a fatal car hit and take her to a 24-hour veterinary clinic in Longmont.
Laird's friends directed traffic as he approached the cat. He said he noticed her paws were as big as the palm of his hands, and when he tried to pick her up she growled. After some coaxing, Laird said she let him scoop her onto a Carhartt jacket. With some help, Laird got the cat into the back of the Jeep, where she easily filled the entire bed.
Laird's friend Zachariah Deming, 19, sat in the back seat and stroked the back of the cat's neck to reassure her. He would periodically caress the back of her ears to see them twitch — a sign she was still alive.
As the trio passed through Lyons, they flagged down a Boulder County sheriff's deputy, and a wildlife officer was called. The officer gasped when he saw the cat, and told the men they had picked up a mountain lion.
The sheriff's deputy told the men he smelled marijuana. Laird suggested it was because the cat had relieved herself in the back of the Jeep, but he and Deming were ultimately ticketed after Deputy Jeff Canton told them "mountain lions don't smoke marijuana," according to his incident report.
Wildlife spokesman Todd Malmsbury said he has never heard of the rescue of a cat that size, and said the men were lucky to have survived.
"A mountain lion that large can kill a deer — that's how they make a living," Malmsbury said.
He said people should never approach or pick up wildlife, especially injured animals that are more likely to attack out of pain.
Sheriff's Lt. Phil West said even possessing some wildlife is against the law, but because the men were acting in good faith to get the cat help they were not ticketed. West said someone in a similar position should call authorities for help.
Those arguments don't sway Laird.
"It wouldn't matter if it was a tiger, I still would have picked it up," he said.
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Men try to rescue lion cub, get ticketed for their trouble
Pot bust follows dangerous effort to save injured cat
By Christine Reid, Camera Staff Writer
February 1, 2005
She was named "Busted" — partly because of her condition when three men found her in the middle of U.S. 36 and partly because the men got ticketed while trying to save her life.
The 65-pound mountain lion cub — guessed to be about 4 or 5 months old — was picked up by three friends on the way home from dinner last week in Estes Park. She had to be euthanized later, Division of Wildlife officials said.
Advertisement
And in return for their rescue attempt, two of the men were ticketed for possessing marijuana and a pipe.
"We knew that was a possibility," said Jason Lee Laird, 21, of Firestone. "But it was worth it."
The men had just passed through Pinewood Springs around 8 p.m. on Jan. 26 when they saw something in the middle of the road.
"It looked up as if to say, 'Help me,'" Laird said.
And so the men — guessing the cat was a bobcat or lynx — decided to save her from a fatal car hit and take her to a 24-hour veterinary clinic in Longmont.
Laird's friends directed traffic as he approached the cat. He said he noticed her paws were as big as the palm of his hands, and when he tried to pick her up she growled. After some coaxing, Laird said she let him scoop her onto a Carhartt jacket. With some help, Laird got the cat into the back of the Jeep, where she easily filled the entire bed.
Laird's friend Zachariah Deming, 19, sat in the back seat and stroked the back of the cat's neck to reassure her. He would periodically caress the back of her ears to see them twitch — a sign she was still alive.
As the trio passed through Lyons, they flagged down a Boulder County sheriff's deputy, and a wildlife officer was called. The officer gasped when he saw the cat, and told the men they had picked up a mountain lion.
The sheriff's deputy told the men he smelled marijuana. Laird suggested it was because the cat had relieved herself in the back of the Jeep, but he and Deming were ultimately ticketed after Deputy Jeff Canton told them "mountain lions don't smoke marijuana," according to his incident report.
Wildlife spokesman Todd Malmsbury said he has never heard of the rescue of a cat that size, and said the men were lucky to have survived.
"A mountain lion that large can kill a deer — that's how they make a living," Malmsbury said.
He said people should never approach or pick up wildlife, especially injured animals that are more likely to attack out of pain.
Sheriff's Lt. Phil West said even possessing some wildlife is against the law, but because the men were acting in good faith to get the cat help they were not ticketed. West said someone in a similar position should call authorities for help.
Those arguments don't sway Laird.
"It wouldn't matter if it was a tiger, I still would have picked it up," he said.
I could almost make out the conversation..
Driver ..." Hey Duuu-uude what that in the middle of the road?? "
pass. .... "nothin' man, you're just baked"
Driver .... "naah man i totally see something"
pass ..... "WOW"
driver ... "yeah...man, it's a kitty kat...i think we should save her"
pass ...."YEAH"
hey dude -- i got a cat that way this past summer... he's not quite a mountain lion yet though.
:-}
mg
and yours went something like this:
MG ...... "uuhhh...dude, i think that's a cat in the middle of the road"
tucker ..... ruff-ruff-gggrrrr-rrfff
MG ..... "aahhh come on tucker i think we should stop"
tucker ..... "rufff---ggrrr"
MG ..... "i know you don't like cats tucker, but i do..'sniff-sniff' "
tucker .... "gggggggggrrrrrrrr (damb sympathetic human), ggrrrr"
love ya :)
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