The first cougar attacks of the year have taken the life of Eudora, Kansas resident named Korey Jerome Kruse, as he was walking off his L. Ron Hubbard Street property.
16 cougars from the nearby Shawnee Mission Park attacked Kruse and dragged him into the bushes where he was devoured by the hungry cats.
Wildlife officials say this is not uncommon in Overland Park during the month of May. "This happens every year in Johnson County. Those damned cougars come down from the hills and eat everything in sight. Nothing is safe. Not even the police."
Wildlife officers have stepped up patrols in the L. Ron Hubbard St. area to ward off further attacks.
Last year, 450 people in Merriam were killed by gangs of roving cougars who attacked and ate everything from house cats to parrots.
In 2007, lion tamers from west Africa were flown to Lenexa to help deal with the wild cats. 14 of those lion tamers suffered serious injuries and 9 were killed trying to round up the dangers beasts.
Tom Rollins of the Kansas Ministry of Wildlife said the year 2008 is expected to be the worst yet for cougar attacks in Olathe. Rollins stated the snowpack in the mountains surrounding Eudora is especially high this year, forcing the cougars to seek food at lower elevations. Rollins said, "The snow's too deep up there for the cougars to dig for rabbits, hence Kruse..."
Funeral arrangements for Korey Jerome Kruse are being made and will be held Oscar Meyer Funeral Home on Elm Street in Overland Park.
Donations to the World Wildlife Fund are requested in lieu of flowers.
-Scott Simpson, Eudora Star Weekly ©