Idaho Department of Fish and Game staff captured and killed a young mountain lion in the Cold Springs subdivision south of Ketchum on Wednesday, Dec. 18, after the lion reportedly jumped a fence on Meadows Loop and killed a domestic cat.
The attack happened before sunrise around 7 a.m. Wednesday, regional Fish and Game spokesman Terry Thompson told the Express. He said the pet owner promptly relayed the incident to Fish and Game.
Thompson said the lion was a 70-pound, roughly 1-year-old female.
“The attack occurred within a 6-foot tall, fenced backyard,” Thompson stated in a Friday press release. “The owner had just let the cat outside, and within minutes, the lion entered the yard and grabbed the cat. … Because the lion entered a fenced backyard of a residence and killed a pet, the decision was made to set a trap at the residence to protect the safety of area residents and their pets.”
Fish and Game staff observed fresh tracks Wednesday morning showing the lion's movement from Cold Springs subdivision to a spot along state Highway 75, according to Thompson. Officers set a cage trap in the yard where the cat was killed, and the lion returned to the yard later on Wednesday and entered the trap. Officers then shot it.
Thompson told the Express that the domestic cat was the only known victim of the lion, though there was an “unconfirmed report of a potential canine killed by a lion” in the general area.
“To my knowledge, [the cat] was the only report that we received about the lion, but I can’t speak to what residents of the area might have observed that they did not report,” he said.
According to Fish and Game, mountain lions become fully independent of their mothers after about 17–22 months. The Cold Springs lion “was only seen alone,” Thompson said, “so we don’t have any indication that she was still with [her mother].”
Regional Fish and Game supervisor Craig White said the decision to kill the lion was not made lightly.
“As with any decision that we are faced with to trap and put an animal down, our staff have to make the hard call to protect area residents and their pets,” White stated Friday. “When a mountain lion exhibits aggression towards people or their pets within the confines of a fenced yard, we need to take appropriate actions.”
According to a previous interview with Thompson, Fish and Game typically sells pelts, skulls and other parts of agency-killed mountain lions at auction in the spring. Taxidermists bid on the parts, and the proceeds go toward the department’s general fund, he said. Thompson said he was “unaware of the disposition of the carcass” in this week's case.
Fish and Game: Clear backyard before letting pets out
According to Fish and Game, pet owners should leash and accompany their pets at night and “make noise and look to ensure the yard is clear of wildlife” before letting animals out.
“Mountain lions are opportunistic predators and will often attempt to take prey when it presents itself. A lion may perceive a pet as prey,” the agency stated Friday. “Do not assume that a privacy fence will keep a mountain lion out of your yard.”
Residents are encouraged to report mountain lion encounters to the Magic Valley Regional Office, which can be reached at 208-324-4359 during business hours and 800-632-5999 after business hours.
