fbpx

Police Kill Mountain Lion in Whitefish

By Beacon Staff

A young male mountain lion that’s been hanging around Whitefish for the past month was killed Tuesday at a residence by the city’s police department.

According to a press release from John Fraley of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the lion had been frequenting residences around lower Big Mountain Road for more than three weeks. Because of concerns for public safety, FWP has a no-tolerance policy for lions in highly urbanized settings and had been actively tracking the lion leading up to Tuesday.

Due to the high traffic and density of homes in the area, FWP Wildlife Conflict Specialist Erik Wenum wasn’t able to use tracking dogs in his multiple-week search. Though Wenum was able to locate a deer kill site and set traps there, he couldn’t ever capture the elusive lion.

On Tuesday morning, Wenum received two calls regarding the lion, including a call from the Whitefish Police Department. Because the police department’s response time would be quicker, Wenum asked that it send officers to look for the lion. Police responded, located the lion and dispatched it.