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POCATELLO, Idaho (AP) — Wildlife officials killed a mountain lion after it killed a family's dog near Pocatello in eastern Idaho.
A woman found her dog apparently mauled by a mountain lion Wednesday morning, the Idaho State Journal reported.
The woman told officials she had let her dog outside at 2 a.m. and immediately heard a commotion.
The owner went to check on her pet, but could not find it in the dark and the dog would not respond to her calls.
The woman and her husband found the dog after the sun came up, and suspected it was attacked and killed by a larger predator.
Wildlife officers confirmed the mountain lion attack, said Mark Gamblin, the regional supervisor for the Southeast Regional Fish and Game office.
The dog was medium-sized and possibly part boxer, said Scott Wright, a regional conservation officer.
Wright believes the adult male lion may have come closer to town looking for easy prey since it had a severe neck injury.
"A pet is easy pickings for a wounded lion," Scott said.
Officers located the lion and determined that it should be put down since it was already mortally injured and for public safety reasons.
The lion's remains are being kept at the Idaho Fish and Game offices for processing.
"We will take the lion's pelt and any other important data and information that can be used to improve our mountain lion management program before the animal is processed appropriately," Gamblin said.
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Information from: Idaho State Journal, http://www.journalnet.com
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