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RIVERTON — A cougar was caught and tranquilized Saturday in a Riverton neighborhood, a day after several sightings were reported to police, according to officials with Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
Residents spotted the animal, a young male, near 1926 W. Dansie Way and alerted authorities. It climbed into a tree where it was tranquilized and retrieved by the division.
The cougar is in good shape and will likely be taken far away, although the exact location has not been decided yet, according to Scott Root, conservation manager with the division.
Friday morning, a cougar sighting in a residential area caused two elementary schools to shelter in place, officials said. Sightings were reported in Riverton and Herriman.
UPDATE: DWR has released new video of a groggy mountain lion being set free into the wild after waking up from a tranquilizer. Officials found this young male cougar wandering in Riverton earlier today. He has now been released in a remote area of Utah County. pic.twitter.com/RSXKQkCN3b
— KSL 5 TV (@KSL5TV) February 17, 2019
#tweet_vid
Blackridge Elementary in Herriman and Foothills Elementary in Riverton sheltered in place for more than an hour Friday before the cougar left the area, according to a Jordan School District spokeswoman.
Before the cougar reportedly departed, multiple people told police they'd spotted it near Foothills Elementary, Herriman police said, asking residents to "please be vigilant of your surroundings."
