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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

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Man shoots cougar attacking goat on porch

Mountain lion. (File)
Mountain lion. (File)

PREDATORS -- A young female cougar was shot and killed as it attacked a goat on the porch of a home near Elk, Washington last week.

The cougar, a kitten of the year still showing spots, was able to kill the goat shortly after midnight on Wednesday morning before the homeowner got a firearm and shot it.  The homeowner reported the incident and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife officer Severin Erickson responded.

While a cougar videoed trotting through a North Spokane parking lot last week was described as "rare" by  Fish and Wildlife officials, Erickson said several cougars a year in Pend Oreille County find their way into residents' yards.

"A lot of times nothing happens, but I get reports of them chasing a dog through the yard, or being up on a porch or lying in the grass of the yard," he said.

"In this case it was a very young cat, very thin, just 30-40 pounds, and in poor condition.  Other litter mates may have been in the area."



Rich Landers
Rich Landers joined The Spokesman-Review in 1977. He is the Outdoors editor for the Sports Department writing and photographing stories about hiking, hunting, fishing, boating, conservation, nature and wildlife and related topics.

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