Landers: Photo Of 8 Cougars Legit

A Wenatchee hunter has a right to be proud for his photo showing a pride of mountain lions on the Douglas County ranch where he has permission to hunt. The black and white trail-cam image, which shows EIGHT cougars in one spot (web readers click on “photos” above), has gone viral in Northwest websites and e-mail lists since he first released it to acquaintances on Christmas Day. (Complete Outdoors post & photos from Rich Landers here)

• Wildlife enthusiasts were in awe of the scene, which few people will see in their lifetimes.
• Alarmists were ready to take up arms against the lion onslaught on the Central Washington deer population.
• Skeptics assumed it was just another Internet hoax – at best just a hungry pen of cougars in a zoo.
• But a Washington Fish and Wildlife Department biologist who received a CD of this photo and all of the hunter’s remote camera cougar images raised his eyebrows and called it, “a magnificent one-time observation; not unheard of, but it’s very rare.”

Question: Which category are you in re: photo? Wildlife enthusiast? Alarmist? Skeptic?