Cougar sightings close Sunrise Park

[Amelia]

[:"green"] *This park is just down the road from me. I am tempted to take my lawn chair and good book and try to catch a glimpse. LOL! This article doesnt mention that it has also been seen at the elementary school and post office.[/]

Cougar sightings close Sunrise Park

Troutdale police may have to shoot the animal, which has been seen several times in the vicinity of the park

Friday, July 08, 2005

ERIC MORTENSON

The Oregonian

TROUTDALE -- The city has closed Sunrise Park because of repeated cougar sightings, and Troutdale police are authorized to shoot the animal if they can do so safely.

Although there have been no reports that the cougar has threatened humans, wildlife experts and police think the frequent sightings indicate the cat is unafraid of people and could be dangerous.

"This particular animal is not going away; it's become a human safety threat," said Anne Pressentin, a spokeswoman for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife's regional office in Clackamas.

Word has spread in Troutdale that the cougar, thought to be a young male staking out territory, is living in Sunrise Park, 460 S.W. 21st Ave., just off Southwest Hensley Road.

Police Chief David Nelson said it's unclear whether the cougar is living in the 13-acre park, but it appears to be frequenting the northern part of the park. It's been seen there multiple times in the past month, the chief said.

"It's in the middle of the city in a nice setting," Nelson said. "He has a lot of ways in and out of the park."

The cougar may be using the forested Beaver Creek corridor to move around, and taking advantage of a pond in the park. "For a cat, it's a perfect sanctuary," Nelson said.

Two small dogs have been reported missing in the area around the park, but Nelson said that may be coincidence. They may have run away or been taken by coyotes, he said.

Cougars are difficult to trap because they're more wary of bait than bears, Pressentin said. Tracking the cougar with dogs through the residential neighborhoods surrounding the park might be a challenge, she said.

Tranquilizing the animal and removing it poses its own set of problems, starting with having someone in the right place at the right time. The cougar could continue to run for several minutes after being hit with a tranquilizer and might be dangerous during that time.

"We wish it would leave the area and find another place to make a living; that would be the best thing," Pressentin said.

Nelson said he's had extensive conversations with fish and wildlife experts. "We've been told if we get calls from the public, to get officers out there as fast as possible and to shoot it at that time. Shooting the animal will be extremely unpopular, and we don't want to do that, either. But the advice we've been given from experts in the field is, that's our only option."

Wildlife experts say people who spot a cougar should never run from it, because that might trigger a chase impulse. Instead, they should raise their arms above their heads to make themselves look larger, and yell to scare it off.