Wildlife cops nab out-of-town visitor

[pscot]

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_us_city_cougar.html


SEATTLE -- A cougar that prowled through Seattle for about a week and forced the closure of the city's largest park was captured early Sunday, wildlife officials said.

The cougar was immobilized with a tranquilizer in Discovery Park at about 2:30 a.m., Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesman Darren Friedel said.

An enforcement officer tracked the animal after authorities were told the cougar had been spotted Saturday evening, the latest sighting in or near the 534-acre preserve, Friedel said.

The cougar is a 2 1/2-year-old male, weighs 140 pounds and is in very good health, Capt. Bill Hebner said. Wildlife agents are considering releasing it into the wild in Snohomish County, north of Seattle, he said."It's a very good prospect for relocation," Hebner said. "It wasn't aggressive or stalking people, and it maintained its natural respect for the wild."

The animal likely preyed on house cats during its time in the park, he sa

[Suich]

1. Geez, first a bear then a cougar!

Glad they caught him...wonder how the heck he got there? I bet the people that live around the park are very relieved!

Hats off to Dept. of Fish and Wildlife folks!

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[pscot]

2. It's been speculated that the critters wander down

the Burlington-Northern tracks, then take a right into Discovery park. Nobody has ever explained how they get through Everett.