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OGDEN, Utah (AP) -- Two cougars were snared last week in traps set out for other animals, state wildlife officials say.
The big cats were caught in separate areas -- one near Brigham City and one near Causey Reservoir, about 26 miles east of Ogden in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest.
Regional wildlife officer Justin Dolling says cougar sightings are common, but it's the first time in three years any cougar has been ensnared.
Trappers reported the catches to state officials.
The Brigham City cat wriggled free before wildlife officials arrived. But biologists had to tranquilize the second cat, free it from the trap and release it into the wild.
Dolling says state officials can't accurately estimate Utah's cougar population. The animals typically roam over large territories, sometimes covering hundreds of miles.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
