Missouri Man Charged with Illegally Killing a Mountain Lion

You can't kill a mountain lion in Missouri as they are a protected species unless it's done in self-defense. There is now a report that a Missouri man who killed one of these big cats in November has been officially charged because of that incident.

I saw this new development in the slaying of the mountain lion in Missouri in November shared by Yahoo News in the UK. That report is based on a discovery by KY3 in Springfield, Missouri. They say that Joseph Licklider of Desloge, Missouri reached out to the Iron County, Missouri Sheriff's Department in the middle of November claiming he had shot a mountain lion and did not know what to do with the animal.

Missouri conservation officials have investigated the claim that he killed the mountain lion in self-defense and determined that they believe there is evidence that the big cat was walking away from his stand at the time when it was shot. That would be a violation of Missouri mountain lion regulations if proven true. Investigators say that evidence including pictures and texts caused them to believe the cougar was killed without cause.

The report from KY3 says that Mr. Licklider will appear in court in February of 2025 to face the charges against him.