Letter: Time for Iowa to protect mountain lions

Recently, an Iowa teen reportedly killed the sixth mountain lion in recent Iowa history while on a deer hunt. It surprised me to learn that Iowa offers zero protections for the rare and iconic mountain lions. Bordering states Nebraska and South Dakota both have protections in place for them. Iowa should also help to protect the Eastern cougar populations.

Currently, the law permits any person in Iowa to kill a mountain lion for any reason without consequence. This is inhumane and has dire consequences to Iowa's ecosystems. Although once common throughout Iowa, early settlers exterminated these elusive cats. However, as the cats begin to slowly disperse into Iowa from neighboring states, it's high time that Iowa provide them basic protections.

We're the only state in the entire Midwest that offers zero legal protections for the species. If Nebraska and South Dakota can do it, so can we.

John Braumann

Marion