U. police urge caution after mountain lion sighting at Red Butte Canyon

U. police urge caution after mountain lion sighting at Red Butte Canyon

(Carter Williams, KSL.com)


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SALT LAKE CITY — University of Utah police are urging anyone who will be out recreating to use caution after a mountain lion sighting was reported at Red Butte Canyon late Monday morning.

No other information about the sighting was provided. It wasn't immediately clear in what area of the canyon the animal was spotted, and University police said they did not have any photos or images of the mountain lion.

The canyon, which is located adjacent to the eastern end of the university's campus, is a popular hiking spot and also home to the Red Butte Canyon Research Natural Area.

Scott Root, outreach manager for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, said the division did receive a call about the sighting and was in "standby mode" in case the creature became an immediate threat or made its way toward any buildings at the U. campus. He added that biologists likely wouldn't need to do anything if the animal remains in the foothills and Wasatch Mountains, where many of the state's mountain lion population roams around.

Mountain lion sightings in Utah aren't uncommon at all, especially in the foothills between the Wasatch Mountains and Utah's heavily populated valleys. Most sightings are benign; however, a video from a Utah hiker showing a tense 6-minute encounter with a mountain lion at Provo's Slate Canyon went viral earlier this year. The hiker escaped the encounter without any injury.

Root said mountain lions prey on deer; and since many deer along the Wasatch Front are back in low-level areas like the foothills for the winter, he expects "quite a few sightings" will be reported in the coming months.

The state has a webpage devoted to how people should handle encounters with mountain lions should they come across them in the wild.

Those tips include:

  • Never run from a cougar. Do not approach one either.
  • Maintain eye contact.
  • Pick up any children and pets or keep them very close to you.
  • Stand up tall. Do not crouch or squat. Make yourself look bigger by raising and waving your arms or jacket above your head.
  • Talk firmly in a loud voice, back away slowly and leave the area. If you are aggressive enough, the cougar will probably flee.
  • Fight back if you are attacked, protecting your head and neck.

Root also advised people to bring bear spray with them as another protection in case of an encounter. He added that people should consider recreating during daytime hours since the creatures typically appear during low-light morning and evening hours.

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Carter Williams is a reporter for KSL.com. He covers Salt Lake City, statewide transportation issues, outdoors, the environment and weather. He is a graduate of Southern Utah University.
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