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Officials call off search for mountain lion

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By MARGERY A. GIBBS / The Associated Press

Tuesday, Oct 14, 2008 - 02:53:22 pm CDT

By MARGERY A. GIBBS / The Associated Press

OMAHA — The search for a cougar on the north edge of Omaha is over — for now.

Nebraska Game and Parks officials called off the search Monday night, about two hours after it began.

Mark Langan of the Nebraska Humane Society said Omaha police and the humane society received about five or six calls from residents in the wooded area on the north edge of Omaha who said they had seen a cougar.

Two officers and two animal control workers went to the area around 7 p.m. Monday and spotted what appeared to be a mountain lion from about 100 yards lying in a field, Langan said.

When the officers headed in the direction of the animal, it took off into the woods, he said.

Because the animal was not captured or spotted by an expert on cougars, it has not been classified as a confirmed sighting, Langan said.

“We’re classifying this as a probable sighting,’’ he said.

If found, officials say the cougar would be killed or tranquilized and transported to a zoo or refuge.

Cougars are interchangeably called mountain lions, pumas, panthers or catamounts in various parts of the nation.

They once roamed over much of what became United States. Despite modern man’s encroachment and the loss of habitat, experts say cougars still range from the Yukon in Canada to the Andes in South America.

Langan says Omaha has about 20 to 30 reports of sightings a year, but confirmed sightings are rare.

“What is uncommon is for police officers or animal control officers to actually see what the people were calling us about,’’ he said.

The search was called off once it became dark, Langan said, because mountain lions can travel long distances in short periods of time.

“It could actually be 20 or 30 miles away by now,’’ Langan said Tuesday.

Langan said officials are not issuing any warnings, but added, “people in the area might want to keep small pets inside.’’

AP Writer Anna Jo Bratton contributed to this report.


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Great wrote on October 14, 2008 7:54 am:
" Soon Mountain Lions are going to be as common as deer in this state. "

 Sounds Good wrote on October 14, 2008 8:23 am:
" I sure hope mountain lions will be as common as deer. That would be awesome!! What a cool animal! In all reality deer are pretty boring. I would love to see the hunters of Nebraska actually have to go after an animal that could hunt them as well. I believe that would make things a little more interesting around here. Anyone can shoot an animal that just lazily grazes on grass all day. But to hunt a real predator that could eat you...priceless!!! "

 WHY wrote on October 14, 2008 8:25 am:
" Why do they feel they have too shoot it? This is a magnificent animal who deserves to live. It is not the animals fault it has wandered into our area, it is just doing what wild animals do. My hope is they don't have to shoot it for the animals sake. That would be a shame! "

 shudson wrote on October 14, 2008 8:30 am:
" I hope some of the mountain lions eat the deer! Deer are more dangerous than mountain lions. Look at how many people have died by running into deers versus being mauled by a mountain lion. I say bring more mountain lions in. "

 Why kill it wrote on October 14, 2008 8:38 am:
" i dont understand why they dont just move it to another part of the state? why not a wildlife refuge? just away from people... this kinda stuff is why 1 in 4 mammals are goin extinct.. and no im not a hippy "

 CS wrote on October 14, 2008 8:46 am:
" Mountain lions? What mountain lions? My mother work for the EPA in soil conservation in NE for years and said there were occasionally mountain lions. Farmers and ranchers in this state have said the same thing. My sister in law is a naturalist for the State and she has seen tracks as well, but when you call game and parks they act like you grew a second head. The lions must hang out with the rattle snakes that don't exist in SE Nebraska. "

 BW wrote on October 14, 2008 9:08 am:
" Mountain lions pose very little threat to humans. In many places in the US--Northern California is one example--they are simply considered what they are: a natural part of the habitat. I have seen two mountain lions while hiking in Northern California. A Fish and Game official once told me that in one park where I often hiked, it would be typical for a lion to have been watching me at some point during an afternoon hike. The danger, however, was very small. The risk was greater on the highway as I drove home. North Omaha residents should probably keep their pets inside at night, but to shoot the lion simply for existing is cruel and unreasonable. "

 wrote on October 14, 2008 10:29 am:
" the reason there are lions in the area is because there are too many deer. increase the permits for deer hunters and it might help the problem. and no one anywhere can hunt mountain lions, as far as i know. correct me if im wrong. "

 last resort wrote on October 14, 2008 10:42 am:
" As always the steps to take are listed backwards. First you tranquilze, then transport, then you relocate. If all else fails, then as a last resort if the lion poses a threat that the lion would be killed. Once again these animals don't know the boundaries we have set for them. It's unfair and cruel to kill a wild animal because someone spotted it in the wild. Hellooo that's were your suppose to spot them. Until you can put up signs around that read in mountain lion language so they know to stay away........leave the poor thing alone. "

 airedale wrote on October 14, 2008 11:12 am:
" Back in the early nineties I spotted a mountain lion about 6 miles south of David City near highway 92. When I reported it to Game and Parks they acted like I was either lying or crazy.

Now they are being spotted in Omaha.

Huh..... "

 Nina wrote on October 14, 2008 1:03 pm:
" They are among us, fellow southeast Nebraskans. Several in our area have also spotted a mountain lion, but when a newborn calf was eaten, with big catpaw prints on the scene, the Games & Parks didn't want to come out and look. If you live in a rural area, especially if your place borders a creek or woods, I would not let small children out to play unless an adult is on scene. Mountain lions think high-pitched voices and small people mean prey. As many of these predators as have been spotted recently, I don't think that's a far-fetched precaution at all. "

 Dawn wrote on October 14, 2008 8:14 pm:
" There were sightings in that same area this summer (Aug), there were even pictures of track and sent to Game and Parks but they ignored it. The cat was in near houses. But they believe it now.. "

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