BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – When Alexander Crowell shot Vermont’s last documented catamount in 1881 on a snowy Thanksgiving morning in Barnard, a local newspaper portrayed the hunter as heroic and his 182-pound prey as a monster.

“He had killed many sheep and lambs in different parts, and the people greatly rejoiced at his death,” the Standard newspaper reported.

Today, some wildlife conservationists would rejoice if the big cats could call the Green Mountains home again — and they are hoping the state legislature will do something about it. Reintroducing the animals remains a long shot, but the discussion has reanimated the debate about the catamount’s place in Vermont.

Ike Bendavid spoke with Seven Days’ Kevin McCallum, who reported in this week’s issue on the efforts to bring the catamount back.

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