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ST. GEORGE, Utah (AP) -- Wildlife officials are on the trail of an elusive cougar.
Several cougar sightings have been reported in the area, but so far the mountain lion has remained one step ahead of the humans searching for it.
"It's wildlife, and that's how it is," said Lynn Chamberlain of the state Division of Wildlife Resources. "It's not at all predictable."
A jogger reported seeing a cougar along a bike path last week. Maintenance crews at the Red Cliffs golf course also reported a cougar sighting and investigators also searched under a St. George pool deck, where two boys said a cougar had taken refuge.
By the time wildlife officers got there, the big cat was gone.
"There were lots of places for it to hide and slip out along the lag in the time it was seen and we arrived," Chamberlain said. "They are escape artists. They're really good at getting in and out of places. (It's) a really difficult animal to see when you want to see it."
Officials considered bringing in hounds to track the cat, but Chamberlain said that with the dryness and heat the scent trail would be difficult for dogs to follow.
Chamberlain said the cougar is most likely trying to find a home.
------ Information from: The Spectrum, http://www.thespectrum.com
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
