A 4-year-old boy was bitten by a young mountain lion near Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park. He survived—and that's a miracle. But hours later, the mountain lion was hunted down and killed.

We’re heartbroken for the family. But we’re also heartbroken that this wild animal paid with its life for acting on instinct in its own shrinking habitat.

This should not be the default response.

We’re calling on the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior to end the automatic euthanasia of wild predators involved in non-fatal incidents. Each case should be reviewed with input from wildlife biologists, behaviorists, and ethical experts—not decided in a rush.

When a wild animal lashes out, it’s often scared, hungry, or cornered. These encounters are terrifying, yes—but they are also preventable. Better education, trail alerts, and non-lethal deterrents can protect both people and animals.

Killing isn’t the only answer. And it shouldn’t be the first.

Sign this petition to demand compassionate, science-based responses to wildlife encounters—before another animal dies for being wild.