Cougar sightings reported in area

SANDPOINT — Mountain lion sightings have been reported in Sandpoint and Clark Fork in the last few days.

A mountain lion was spotted on Lower Syringa Road on Saturday evening, according to Sandpoint Police.

The department put out an advisory on its Facebook page on Sunday recommending that kids stay indoors at dusk and dawn. Police also suggest encouraging kids to play in groups and escorting kids to their bus stops in areas were mountain lion are spotted.

The department further recommends that pets be brought in at night, ensure that home exteriors are illuminated and to feed pets indoors.

A mountain lion killed a dog in Clark Fork on Friday and cached its carcass, said Idaho Department of Fish & Game Conservation Officer Matt Haag. One of the people looking for the dog crossed paths with the cougar.

“He came face-to-face with a mountain lion,” said Haag.

The mountain lion screeched and took off.

Haag said people may be seeing more of the elusive, solitary cats in the fall because fawns are easier to catch in the spring and summer.

“Now they’re old and faster, and they have to work a little bit harder for the prey,” Haag said.

Moreover, if mountain lion has a physical ailment or is aged, they will come down to lower elevations in search of easier prey, such as dogs and cats. Haag said juvenile male cats can sometimes be seen because their mothers have cut them loose and they are trying to establish their own territories.

“They’re just lost and trying to find their way in life, so to speak,” Haag said.

Haag encourages people to report mountain lion sightings, especially if they’re in populated areas or broad daylight.

“They have to kill to eat and when they’re in town and around people, that makes us extremely nervous,” he said.

Fish & Game counsels against intentionally feeding deer because they attract mountain lion.

Wildlife managers urge people to steer clear of cougar and to give them an avenue of escape. Running from a mountain lion is discouraged because it could stimulate the cats’ instinct to chase.

If a potential conflict cannot be avoided, managers recommend maintaining eye contact and doing whatever you can to make yourself appear larger, such as opening your coat, raising your arms. Throwing objects at the animal can also be effective.

If attacked, fight back with whatever is at your disposal and try to remain standing.

Haag recommends that adults bring up the front and the rear when hiking in the forest with small children.

“Nine times out of 10, when you’re hiking in the woods a mountain lion is probably watching you, but you never see it,” he said.