Officials urge caution after cougar spotted at Bountiful park

Creekside Park

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BOUNTIFUL — Authorities are advising anyone visiting Creekside Park to be alert after police received reports of a cougar sighting at the park Friday.

In a social media post, Bountiful police said they received “multiple reports” of a cougar at the park, located at 600 E. Mill Street. Police then notified the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources about the sightings.

DWR conservation officer Trevor Doman said one of the reports came from a woman who spotted the animal in a wooded area near a bridge and Mill Creek in the park about 9 a.m. Wildlife officials and police arrived at the park and closed it off before they set up a perimeter around it.

A houndsman was brought in to see if a dog could pick up the scent of the cougar and track it, but the dog only picked up a scent briefly, Doman said.

"The temperature had climbed incrementally. We got there as quickly as possible and (the houndsman) got there are as quick as possible, but with the heat of the day, cougars don't leave much of a scent. It's very mild. And, of course, as the heat increases, that's less and less of a scent for the dogs to pick up," Doman explained.

The houndsman spotted a cougar paw print track in the area, but officials were unable to locate the wild animal. Doman said the creature likely had gone to the creek for a drink or to cool down and the human presence likely spooked it back into the nearby foothills.

Anyone who does see a cougar is encouraged to call 911 to allow public safety officials to respond, Bountiful police said. Doman said officers and wildlife officials have remained close to the park Friday in case the cougar does reappear so they can capture it and relocate it.

Cougar sightings aren’t uncommon along the Wasatch Front. In fact, a pair of cougars were spotted in December of last year and in January of this year around Bountiful. The cougars were captured in the Bountiful bench area on Jan. 24 and euthanized after biologists determined they had lost the fear of human activity.

The only thing abnormal about the sighting Friday was how late in the day it was, Doman said.

"For the most part, they are a nocturnal animal. That's why we very rarely see them," he said. "To see one in the daytime is uncommon."

The DWR does have tips online for what to do when you spot a cougar. They include:

  • Don’t run from a cougar. Running will “provoke an instinctive prey response” which may result in the cougar pursuing you.
  • Make yourself intimidating. Make eye contact, which cougars deem as a threat. Raise your arms and wave them, and speak loudly and firmly.
  • Pick up children before they panic and run. Maintain eye contact with the animal while you do this.
  • Fight back. If you are attacked, protect your head and neck. Experts say a cougar will likely give up and leave if it believes it will not quickly win a fight.

More tips about cougars can be found on the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources’ website.

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Carter Williams is an award-winning reporter who covers general news, outdoors, history and sports for KSL.com.

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