Mountain Lion Killed; Sightings Increase

A 10-month-old female mountain lion recently cast out by its mother has been killed by a game warden as lion sightings escalate in and around the Flathead Valley.

Warden Harvey Nyberg said traps also have been set to capture the dead animal’s sibling, and a third lion was shot at but escaped. Nyberg said that lion also will be destroyed, if possible.

One of the lions stalked a group of huckleberry pickers over the weekend near Whitefish and there have been numerous other sightings reported.

Nyberg said the lions are looking for food after feasting for months on the winterkill of whitetail deer. He also noted this is a time when people are out in the woods more often, promoting encounters.