The Carlisle independent., 1907-03-14
SOUTH AMERICAN PUMA.
1t Is Mans on'y Friend Among Beats
 of the Jungle.

The puma or cougar is one of the largest of the American felidae, and is sometimes called the mountain lion, although the resemblance to a lion is very slight. It is the dreaded panther Cor painter) of North America. and many tales of it's ferocity and blood thirstiness are current.
 It is now rare in thSN Nrnited States, but in South Amer 9s'ae puma, to give it's proper names abounds, and there it seems to have los 'ts ferocity and is actually friend to man.
 A traveller in South America whe has investigated this strange subject. gives several peculiar instances of the puma's friendliness to man.
 He tells of person who had spent most of his life on the pampas, and who, on one occasion, when travelling, lost his horse by death and was com pelled to continue his journey on foot
 At night he made his bed under the shelter of a rock, on the slope of q stony sierra; bright moon was shin ing, and about nine o'clock in the evening four pumas appeared, two adults with their two half-grown young.
 Not feeling the least alarmed at their presence. he did not stir, and after awhile they began to gamboI to- gether close to him, concealing theR7- selves from each other among the rocks, just as kittens do, and frequent ly, while pursuing one another, leap ing over him. He continued watching them until rast midnight, then fell asleep and did not wake until morn ing. when they had left him.
 I asked him if he had ever killed a puma, and he replied that he had killed only one, and had sworn never to kill another. He said that while out one day with another herder, look ing for cattle, puma was found.
 It sat up with it's back against a stone, and did not move, even when his companion threw the moose of his lasso over it's neck. My informant then dismounted, and, drawing his knife, advanced to kill it. Still the puma made no attempt to free itself from the lasso, but it seemed to know he said, what was coming-for it be- gan to tremble. the tears ran from it's eyes, and it whined in the most pitiful manner.
 He killed it as it sat there unresist- ing before him, but, after accomplish ing the deed felt that he had com mitted a murder. 1t was the only thing he had ever done in his life. he added, which filled him with remorse when he remembered.
 All who have killed or witnessed the killing of puma-and l have ques- tioned scores of hunters on this point agree that it resigns itself in this unresistins, pathetic manner to death at the hands of man.
 Claudio Gay, in his Natural History of Chilli, says: When attacked by man, its energy and daring at once forsake it, and it becomes a weak, in offensive animal and, trembling and uttering piteous means and shedding abundant tears, it seems to implore compassion from a generous enemy" The enemy is not often generous, but many herders have assured me, when speaking on this subject, that although they kill the puma readily to protect their domestic animals, they consider it an evil thing to take it's life in desert places, where it is mans aniy friend among the wild animals
 When the hunter is accompanied by dogs, then the puma, instead of droop- ing and shedding tears, is reused to a sublime rage; it's hair stands erect; it's eyes shine like balls of green flame, it spits and snarls like a furious cat
 The hunters presence seems at such times to be ignored altogether, its whole attention being given to the dogs and its rage directed against them.