One mountain lion killed, another sought after sightings and attacks increase in Idaho

Idaho Department of Fish and Game officials have killed one mountain lion that attacked pets and livestock and are warning Wood River Valley residents after another attacked and injured two dogs last week.

Officials with Fish and Game’s Magic Valley Region in a news release said they trapped and killed an adult female mountain lion on Jan. 14 after the cougar killed 20 animals at a Hailey home. According to the release, the mountain lion entered an animal enclosure on Jan. 12 and killed 11 chickens, two geese, six ducks and a pet cat.

The homeowners told officials they had secured the enclosure, but high winds blew a window open and created an access point for the mountain lion.

A few days after the female mountain lion was killed, another mountain lion attacked and injured two dogs in East Fork. Officials said the dogs’ owner intervened, stopping the attack. That mountain lion has not been located.

Fish and Game said it has received multiple reports of mountain lions in neighborhoods across the Wood River Valley, which has seen wintertime cougar conflicts grow in the last several years. Last year, Fish and Game killed multiple mountain lions in the area after conflicts with humans and domesticated animals.

Department officials urged residents to secure their properties and check for any possible areas for mountain lions to bed down. The agency directed people to the Wood River Valley Wildlife Smart Communities website for more tips on safely living in wildlife areas.

Cougar sightings, encounters or attacks should be reported to the Magic Valley Region office at (208) 324-4359.