Cougar euthanized after it was spotted in Lehi neighborhood, police say
Aug 30, 2024, 9:52 AM | Updated: 5:02 pm
LEHI — A cougar that was spotted Monday in Lehi was captured and euthanized Thursday night, according to Lehi police.
Jeanteil Livingston, spokesperson for the Lehi City Police Department, said the mountain lion was located near 2100 North, inside a construction company trailer lot. It was first spotted on the railroad track at approximately 1500 North, walking down the tracks and heading north.
The Utah Department of Natural Resources made the call to euthanize it, Livingston said. It was a young male, according to DNR.
“Because the mountain lion had become habituated to this residential area and had remained in the area for several days, it had become a public safety threat,” the DNR said.
DNR said the mountain lion was located at approximately 11 p.m. Lehi City police officers used a drone with thermal imaging to locate it, and they observed a jogger running through the park just yards away from the mountain lion.
“Dark conditions often make it difficult to potentially tranquilize wildlife, since they will sometimes run off after being hit with a tranquilizer dart,” DNR said.
Ultimately, the DNR said the circumstances the cougar was found in Thursday night did not allow for them to tranquilize him.
“It is always unfortunate when we have to euthanize any wildlife. Our biologists and law enforcement are very passionate about wildlife, which is why many of them dedicate their lives to careers researching and conserving Utah’s wildlife and working to improve their habitats to sustain populations. However, we also value public safety, and as the population of Utah grows, we recognize that there will be more people living in wildlife habitat areas where they, their pets or livestock may have encounters with wildlife,” DNR said.
“Thank you for your patience as we’ve worked to try and resolve the problem,” the Lehi City Police Department in a Facebook post, stating the capture of the mountain lion was “very difficult,” citing the animal’s stealth in a suburban environment.
Lehi City said the DNR took possession of the carcass.
This is a breaking news story. It may be updated.
