A mountain lion attacked, killed, and ate a dog in Washington state while it was on an afternoon walk with its owner along the beach.
Officials then shot the mountain lion dead.
The Mason County Sheriff’s office announced they had received a called on March 25 about the mountain lion, also known as a cougar, that was responsible for the attack on a beach north of Hoodsport.
The dog owner then ran to his nearby cabin and called authorities.
Deputies and wildlife officials arrived to find the cougar eating the dog under a shed.
Reports of the incident stirred plenty of discussion on local social media, with the shooting of the cougar proving divisive.
“Why did they ‘have to?,’” wrote one person on Facebook. “I thought only animals who attack humans have to be euthanized. Sad for the family who lost their pet and for the cougar as well.”
However, some defended the actions of the police.
Mountain Lion Encounters
In February a woman pried apart what she thought were fighting dogs outside her Idaho home only to discover the animal she was gripping in one hand was a juvenile mountain lion.According to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG), a woman noticed her dog fighting outside her home in the small town of Mackay on the morning of Jan. 30.
Assuming it was another dog, she quickly intervened.
“Her husband responded and quickly dispatched the mountain lion as she held on to it.”
According to the IDFG, Idaho has an abundant and sustainable mountain lion population.
“Stop or back away slowly, if you can do it safely,” said the CWP advice. “Running may stimulate a lion’s instinct to chase and attack. Face the lion and stand upright.”
Never approach a lion, especially one with kittens.
If the lion behaves aggressively, the advice is to throw stones, branches or whatever is to hand—but “without crouching down or turning your back. ”
“Fight back if a lion attacks you. Lions have been driven away by prey that fights back. People have fought back with rocks, sticks, caps or jackets, garden tools, and their bare hands successfully. We recommend targeting the eyes and nose as these are sensitive areas.”