Cougar on the Loose in Corvallis, Oregon

(CORVALLIS, Ore.) - State and federal wildlife officials are pursuing a cougar that was seen in the Corvallis City limits on three occasions since Friday and is considered a possible threat to human safety.

Representatives of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and USDA Wildlife Services are tracking what they believe is a young cougar that was seen Friday, Saturday and Sunday in a northwest Corvallis neighborhood.

On one of those occasions, the cougar mauled a domestic cat whose injuries were confirmed by a local veterinarian. The attack took place 300 yards from Wilson Elementary School.

“The cougar has lost its wariness of humans,” said Nancy Taylor, district wildlife biologist for ODFW’s South Willamette Watershed District.

Taylor is working with Landon Schacht from USDA Wildlife Services to capture and remove the animal. “We want people to be aware that there is a problem cat in the area and take the appropriate precautions,” she said.

Problem cougars as those that appear to be accustomed to human activity, are visible during daylight hours in close proximity to houses and people, and attack pets.

The cougar seen in Corvallis fits this profile, according to Taylor, which is why ODFW and Wildlife Services are moving aggressively to control the animal.

“We have a responsibility to protect the public when a cougar becomes a human safety concern,” she said.

Oregon is home to more than 5,000 cougars. There has never been a documented case of a cougar attacking a person in Oregon, though it has occurred in other states. ODFW recommends that people familiarize themselves with precautions they can take to avoid conflicts these animals.

In the unlikely event that a person encounters a cougar, ODFW recommends saying calm, maintaining direct eye contact, raising your voice and backing away slowly. In the very unusual event that a cougar attacks, fight back with rocks, sticks tools or any items available.

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Anonymous April 16, 2013 3:20 am (Pacific time)

I had one of my house cats come up missing on jan. 27th 2013 and again another cat missing april 12th 2013. I have heard there was a cougar sighting in our area close by. Who do I go to to report this? We live in the little river area just out of Glide Oregon.

moonraven September 18, 2012 12:22 pm (Pacific time)

There is a place for the cougar in our state and it will take common sense and patience and careful communication and education of the public to make it a reality. Avoid hysteria. Avoid exaggerations. Get the info and get together with friends and public servants and get to work!

Nature August 23, 2009 9:30 pm (Pacific time)

Seems they are on the move into populated areas that they had previously avoided. The Willamette Valley has been a hot spot for Cougars this year. Has there been a study done as to why they are showing up in populated areas?

Someone August 23, 2009 8:49 am (Pacific time)

Well, if we treat them anything like the American Indian, they will be marginalized, victimized, and crammed into the least hospitable area to live. Then, we will move into those areas and try to totally eliminate them. I personally think it is good to see an occasional large predator show up on the outskirts of a remote town near the mountains. It's a good indicator that the population is healthy. And, why in the world would you live so close to nature and not want it showing up once in a while anyway? Another thing, why does everyone want someone else to fix their problems? If a cougar did show up and become a problem, can't you citizens of the area take care of it yourselves? Or have you become so inept that you can no longer can do anything? It's like the one who jogs in the woods everyday, but never carries any protection. Then makes headline news when attacked. Duuuuhhhhhh. That's why they make bear-spray, and guns. These tools allow us to be less a "victim" and offer non-lethal or lethal options. Take care of yourselves, people.

So. OR Hunter August 20, 2009 3:05 am (Pacific time)

RE: JAYNE MILLER How much outdoor knowledge do you have? You are so far away from the truth it is unreal. I do agree however that Oregonians should not kill cougars. All Oregon hunters should humanely trap them and transport them directly to Salem. Let em run wild in the streets of Salem and surrounding cities. Then when you get the so called knowledge from the media on that incident we can talk.

Jayne Miller April 27, 2009 2:31 am (Pacific time)

When a young cougar shows up on your doorstep it is because ODFW does not have a sustainable plan to protect them. Cougars showing up in human populated areas is not the cougars fault. Yes, they are usually young and very hungry due to the fact that ODFW bad cougar management plan creates more dangerous encounters with cougars because ODFW, hunters, dog owners, and ranchers are making big money killing these cougar for fun. Bad policy making sent that cougar into Corvallis. ODFW allow hunting of cougar with hounds, killing females who are rarely not pregnant or lactating. It takes cubs 18 months to 2 years before they are capable of fending for themselves in the wild. Without their mother, they never learn this. When a hunter shoots a cougar and she has young, you will experience what Corvallis has when these orphaned cubs appear at your door for food. ODFW has informed me that these cubs are vermin and they have no plans for their care (most starve to death, some are sold, and others the dogs tear apart) or it appears, the truth about your safety. You were safer without the cougar being shot. ODFW and hunters want you to believe there is a cougar issue, when in fact there is not. Science and careful study by those skilled to do so has proven that not hunting cougar creates less encounters with humans, but because ODFW are making so much money at this slaughter, they don’t want you to believe that. A couple of years ago ODFW went behind Oregonians backs and began to undermine the voter’s wishes to not kill cougar with hounds. With inflated cougar population numbers ODFW went before State Legislature and passed a bill without voters input to begin a mass killing of these magnificent animals using hounds. Many of these wonderful dogs are killed in the process and rarely if at all ever taken to a vet for help. The National Human Society has been monitoring the horrid inhuman treatment these dogs receive. Celebrities are thrown in jail for dogfights, but it is ok to send these wonderful animals out to kill a cougar and become injured or killed in a fight worse than a dogfight? This inhuman treatment is ODFW cougar management plan. Cougars do not need to be shot to control them; they will kill their own kind to keep the numbers in proportion to food and land space. They did this for thousands of years before we arrived to populate the States. The truth is these cougar are being killed for profit and fun using false information to scare the public and weak science to estimate numbers. As a result of the bill passed to hunt cougar with hounds and have open season on the cat; there have been spiked increase encounters with cougar that otherwise would not have happened. Yes, cougar can be trapped and moved to new locations, like schools and public areas or even to a wilderness area. ODFW has not been above reproach regarding the numbers of cougar Oregon really has and their conduct regarding policy making these last couple of years has been shameful. Due to bad policymaking, selfish land development and primarily sports hunting; cougar are extinct in 36 States of the Union. ODFW’s cougar management plan has been designed using the same principles that caused other States to no longer have cougars. There are more hunters than cougar and multiple hunters can frequently count any one cougar. Studies at OSU has proven that without the cougar, the biodiversity begins to collapse and in less than 50 years wet lands dry up, forest die and burn, animals from insects to large mammals and fish populations become out of balance and destroy vegetation, then die off or create a weak gene pool, or humans have to use chemicals or traps to control them. Deer, elk, and other popular animals to kill for fun are declining in numbers or growing weaker gene pools not because of natural predators, but because of too many hunters and bad policy making.

EazyMoney April 22, 2009 4:10 pm (Pacific time)

The janitor took a shot at it? Since when is the janitor allowed to be armed on school grounds?

trish April 21, 2009 2:44 pm (Pacific time)

kids at school in grand rhonde oregon spotted a cougar last week. The jainitor took a shot at it and trackers were called in . why hasnt this been more exposed in this area?? so we can protect our children that play and live here??

JB April 20, 2009 8:14 pm (Pacific time)

Have all wild animals stated that humans or a threat or just the cougers? I think the deer are the ones who have the most to say.

parker April 20, 2009 6:53 pm (Pacific time)

Oregon State wild animals have stated that humans are a continuous threat not only to them but to the entire planet and are sending out cougar patrols to try to contain the young know it alls at Oregon State University in Corvalis. They hope to take down a football playing weekend drunk or two but have no hope of eradicating the entire species. They maintain that they were in Oregon prior to Animal House.

Editor: I was with you until you suggested they are older than Animal House...

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