Cougar Put Down After Getting Too Close To Bend Neighborhood

Bend, Ore. – State wildlife officials killed a cougar after they tranquilized and removed it from a tree in southeast Bend Friday afternoon.

The Cougar was in a populated area of Bend about 3 blocks east of Vince Genna Stadium and near Kiwanis Park.

Sgt. Todd Fletcher of The Bend Police Department tells the Bulletin: “We got there and he was a fairly large cougar that was resting rather peacefully in a juniper tree.”

In all, seven Bend Police officers, two Oregon State Police troopers and two Deschutes County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the call, along with three Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials.

Rick Hargrave, ODFW spokesman in Salem says the cougar was a 110-pound, 2-year-old male. Officials killed it rather than relocated it because of where the animal was found — in a dense neighborhood — and its age. If released nearby, he said it may have returned, and if released far away it could have been forced into a territory fight with another cougar. The ODFW killed the cougar using a lethal injection around 3 p.m.

If you see local news happen, call the Horizon Broadcasting Group News Tip Hotline at 541-323-NEWS, or email us.

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