WILDLIFE  – Cougars have been conspicuously on the prowl recently in the Spokane area, resulting in dead llamas and a dead cougar.

On July 4, Mike Sprecher, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife police officer, investigated the scene where two llamas apparently were killed by cougars near the Newman Lake public fishing access.

On July 5, Sprecher responded to a cougar in a tree near a home just south of Newman Lake, reported by a woman concerned for the safety of her kids and pets. The cat was gone when the officer arrived.

Sprecher received several night calls on July 5 of cougar sightings in the Five Mile-area.

After more reports were called in on July 6, Sprecher and Spokane Police officers followed a tip to a cougar in a tree near Salk Middle School in northwest Spokane.

The cougar was euthanized to avoid a risky after-dark attempt to tranquilize and relocate the animal, he said.

In the previous week, officers also had responded to a possible cougar attack on goats in the West Plains and five goats were killed in a cougar attack in Ferry County, where the landowner was given a permit to kill the cat if caught in the act again, officers said.