New Jersey officials are looking for a way to control their deer population and some scientists think they’ve discovered the answer: bring back cougars.
Though it seems like a ludicrous idea, PIX11 reports a study by the Conservation Letters Journal says if New Jersey brought back cougars the state could possibly save $2.4 million and avoid 24 injuries annually caused by deer/vehicle accidents.
The study, according to the TV station, says cougars are the perfect answer because they prey on all ages of deer, but most aren’t convinced.
“That’s a crazy idea,” Lisa Langan told PIX11. “Who’s going to protect the cats and dogs?”
Jeff Tittel, president of the Sierra Club of New Jersey, is also against the idea.
“It will not work,” he told the news station. “New Jersey is too residential for that … and cougars could go after livestock and pets.”
Tittel’s disagreement also came with a suggestion. He told PIX11 the answer is for homeowners to stop having manicured lawns and things for deer to eat.
Among numerous sources PIX11 reports as opposing the study’s find, a spokesman for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection also said cougars would never work, adding, “In New Jersey, you’re never too far from somebody’s house.”
