In less than a year, over 20 cougars have been killed in Klickitat County, guilty of nothing more than existing in their native habitat. Sheriff Bob Songer has initiated an untethered assault on these animals, without clear justification, allowing hound hunters to wreak havoc and terror on this wonderful, keystone species. The sheriff's department is circumventing the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and extending their long arm of the law without WDFW oversight or involvement. These horrific kills are not in response to, or retaliation for, the predation of domestic animals; they are the result of one man's hidden agenda and complete disregard for a species and it must be stopped, now! Cougars are a vital part of this ecosystem, co-existing with deer and elk and helping maintain sustainable, healthy populations. This unregulated slaughter, beyond its extreme cruelty, will result in the eventual collapse of this species in Klickitat County, and culminate in the loss of sustainable habitat for deer and elk. Please sign this petition to show your support for these magnificent animals.
