Kid Rock killed a mountain lion just for fun and posed, grinning, with the dead cat's carcass. The snuffed lion hangs limp in his arms against a snowy mountainous backdrop. Though mountain lions are not a protected species, animal rights groups are justifiably outraged by Kid Rock's arrogant disrespect for wildlife.
Human expansion has not been kind to mountain lions, also called cougars and panthers. These graceful and stealthy animals used to range the entire continental United States, but by the mid-20th century, they were extinct in the eastern states except for Florida.
Mountain lion populations in the western states are in decline, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Because they are so secretive and solitary, mountain lions represent little to no risk to humans. No one needs to shoot a mountain lion, much less gloat about it. Tell Kid Rock to stop hunting at-risk species for fun.
Dear Kid Rock,
We the undersigned are outraged that you killed a mountain lion for sport. The way you are smiling ear to ear in your photograph suggests that you are proud of having shot an animal that was minding its own business far away from any human settlement. Please understand that killing wildlife for trophies is obscene to begin with. Beyond that, you have targeted an animal that has already lost half its original North American habitat. Its numbers are also in decline in the western states. Please don't use your celebrity status to send the message that pointless killing of endangered wildlife is okay. Stop trophy hunting.
