Are big predator species starting to close in on our towns and cities?  Well, at least with regard to mountain lions, that appears to be the case as a recent article in insight magazine notes the big cats have been seen pawing their way into community neighborhoods throughout the U.S.  Indeed, increased sightings have been reported in Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Arkansas, Missouri, and even Michigan where they were previously unknown in modern times. One Denver Post article recently noted the big cats have been seen using sandboxes as litter boxes and noisily dining on neighborhood deer, even using an occasional dog or cat serving as an hors d’oeuvre.  Time will tell if these urban felines will receive a purr of approval from local residents.