Authorities Had Declared Animal A Safety Threat
PRINEVILLE, Ore — A reserve deputy with the Crook County Sheriff’s Office shot and killed an injured cougar Thursday after warning people in the Prineville area about the danger posed by the animal, deputies said.
According to a news release issued by the sheriff’s office, the cougar had been struck by a vehicle on Highway 26 east of Prineville earlier in the day.
Deputies said they found the cougar lying injured near the roadway after receiving a call from the driver. The cougar was still alive, but ran off toward some nearby homes shortly after deputies arrived, investigators said.
According to deputies, the wounded animal constituted a serious threat to people living nearby, and a warning was issued to neighbors.
Deputies then consulted with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and contacted a specially-trained reserve deputy to hunt down the animal, investigators said.
The deputy was able to shoot and kill the wounded cougar after a short search, investigators said. According to the news release, the cougar appeared to be 2-year-old or 3-year-old weighing about 90 pounds.
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