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COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — Utah wildlife biologists and Cottonwood Heights officials are urging those around the Big Cottonwood Canyon foothills to be vigilant after a cougar was spotted in the area, and the carcasses of a bobcat and a raccoon were recovered, over the weekend.
A Cottonwood Heights resident alerted the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Saturday evening that a cougar had killed a bobcat in his backyard, said DWR spokeswoman Faith Heaton Jolley. A state conservation officer was dispatched to the area, near Top of the World Drive, and located the two carcasses in the resident’s backyard.
“The officer, while he was there, he removed those two carcasses to help prevent the cougar from coming back — because usually when they kill an animal, they’ll bury it and do kind of a cache site,” Jolley said. “He then did see the cougar there while he was there, so he scared it off.”
The homeowner reported to the agency the cougar returned Sunday night, she added. The division was monitoring the area and said the cougar hadn't been located as of Monday afternoon.
The division also received a report of two cougars spotted in the Bountiful area Saturday morning. Wildlife officials say cougar sightings aren’t completely uncommon, especially when it’s colder and snowier in the mountains and deer travel down closer to the valleys for food.
“Our officer said (the Cottonwood Heights case) was a little more unusual because they’ll primarily just target deer,” Jolley said. “That’s kind of the primary food source for cougars. But they are very adept predators, so it was able to take down a bobcat and a raccoon as well.”
Cottonwood Heights City tweeted Monday that anyone who sees a cougar in the area should stop and keep eye contact with the animal, stand up tall, make yourself big, waving your arms around and talking firmly and loudly while backing away slowly and leaving the area.
We've heard reports of Mountain Lions spotted near Big Cottonwood.
— Cottonwood Heights (@CHCity) December 23, 2019
If you see one:
Stop.
Keep eye contact.
Keep kids & pets close.
Stand up tall.
Don't crouch/squat.
Make yourself look big, raise and wave your arms above your head.
Talk firm & loud, back away slowly and leave.
Residents in the area should also keep their small children and pets indoors as a precaution, Jolley added. More safety tips regarding how to react when you spot a cougar can be found at Wild Aware Utah.
