Authorities in Scottsbluff shot and killed a mountain lion a little after 7:00 last night on the north end of the city at the Scotts Bluff Country Club.
There are over 100 homes around the country club and dozens of golfers were at the course at the time of the shooting
Nebraska’s Mountain Lion Response Plan requires that any mountain lion found within a city will be killed to ensure public safety
Authorities had been on the lookout for the big cat ever since a resident of a subdivision at the Country Club’s golf course called 911 a little before 2:00 pm to report a mountain lion at her home.
KNEB News says the woman told dispatchers the cougar had jumped up on the window of her front porch and begun hissing at her dog. She snapped photos and reported the sighting when the animal left her home and headed west.
Scotts Bluff County Sheriff’s Deputies and Nebraska Game and Parks Conservation Officers searched the area for the lion, but were unsuccessful in finding it.
       About 5 hours after the original report, a homeowner just 3 houses from the first called to report a mountain lion in their backyard, right outside their window.
Law enforcement arrived quickly and euthanized the big cat with a single shot.Â
Game and Parks does not trap or tranquilize mountain lions found inside cities for relocation for multiple reasons with the safety of the public the #1 priority.
Foremost is that tranquilizers can take up to 10 minutes to take effect and darted animals may flee when partially drugged. They can be more difficult in that condition and could also wander into traffic or densely populated areas.
Even if a mountain lion could be captured, Nebraska doesn’t have enough public land with suitable habitat to relocate mountain lions, and zoos won’t accept cougars older than kittens because those accustomed to the wild do not adapt well to captivity or the presence of humans.