New details and photos emerge from mountain lion attack 🐈

The weekend might not be here yet, but your favorite dispatch from the great outdoors is. 

So grab your coffee or whiskey (no judgement) and let's get caught up on the outdoor news and views from the past few days. 

Here's what caught our eye this week...

• Incredible ordeal - New details and photos from mountain lion attack 🐈

• Wolverines coming back - Colorado is looking to beef up its biodiversity 🌳

• Things get worse - Florida man who housed deer now in jail on weapons violations 🐊

• Sharknado - Six bulls tear up Florida fisherman's catch 🦈

• Midget deer in PA - You gotta see it to believe it 🍼

NOTHING SHORT OF HEROIC
NEW DETAILS AND IMAGES EMERGE FROM COUGAR ATTACK IN WASHINGTON STATE

Last week’s newsletter featured the heroic efforts of a group of friends that fearlessly fought off a mountain lion while cycling just east of Seattle. Since the incident, which took place on February 17, 2024, additional details and photographs of the victim have been released.

As five cyclists were biking on a trail near East Bend, the group noticed that they had company in the form of two mountain lions. As the cats followed closely behind, it didn’t take long for one to pounce on a member of the group. Latching on to the face of 60-year-old Keri McCorkle, the animal lashed her back with its razor sharp claws without letting go of McCorkle’s head nestled between the cat’s jaws. McCorkle’s friends sprung into action, using a large boulder to hit the lion in an attempt to free their friend from its jaws. One member of the group worked a Leatherman tool across the cat’s neck, trying to slit its throat without success...

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🌳 Errbody loves a comeback: A new bill in Colorado is calling for the reintroduction of the North American wolverine. With the last confirmed viable population dating back to 1919 , legislators and wildlife officials believe the Centennial State can support up to 100 wolverines. Looking to support the state's biodiversity, officials believe the wolverine will serve as a 'clean-up crew' as a mammal scavenger and predator.

🤦‍♂️ Things get worse for Florida deer drug runner: If you missed us on Wednesday, we wrote about the Florida man that got nailed for inviting endangered Key deer into his home. As the investigation continued this week, officers found multiple weapons inside the home and uncovered a litany of previous drug trafficking charges. It was later revealed that the accused was squatting in the home and has since been arrested on weapons charges.

🧟‍♂️ Wasting in Maryland National Parks: Using deer reduction techniques to reduce deer population (read: hunting), the National Park Service has confirmed chronic wasting disease in three specimens taken during the most recent cull.  This is the first time the disease has been detected in Maryland National Parks, but was first detected in the state in 2010.

🧼 Arizona remains clean: While Maryland officials battle chronic wasting disease, Arizona is out here claiming immunity. After testing over 1,200 elk, mule deer and whitetails last season, the Game and Fish Department came out with a clean bill of health for the state's cervid popluation. Despite being detected in neighboring states such as Utah, New Mexico and Colorado, Arizona is holding strong for the moment.

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🥶 Frigid rescue: Watch as animal control officers rescue a young elk from a frozen lake.

🦈 No shark problem here!: Watch as six bull sharks annihilate fisherman's catch off the coast of Florida.

JUST A LITTLE GUY
THE MYSTERY OF PENNSYLVANIA'S MIDGET DEER

Is it a midget, miniature or misfit? According to residents in one Pennsylvania town, it’s a bit of all three.

Peeping a look into his backyard, seeing a small herd of deer mowing down on what is left of his gardens is no surprise to John Dillard Jr.  Located in Bethel Park, only a few miles south of Pittsburgh, Dillard’s home has long been a gathering place for local whitetails. A hunter himself, Dillard enjoys watching them and admittedly has developed a bit of empathy towards them over the years.

Although most of the deer tend to look relatively similar, one small specimen stepped out earlier this month and blew Dillard Jr. away. Fumbling for his camera, he managed to snap a few pics of the small, miniature deer that are now making their rounds on the internet.Sporting a stocky frame and a stubby, yet somewhat majestic head, Dillard Jr. is convinced that this little deer is some bizarre cross between a cow and a whitetail. If you look closely, it almost seems as if this little guy even has a set of fangs like the infamous Chinese water deer...

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Bring them back - the boom that was the 1970s animal horror films. The five-foot, prehistoric bird that dines on baby crocodiles and eats its siblings. The best tiki cocktails for spring break. The surprising ways jellyfish learn without a brain.

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Classic.
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