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LEHI — Utah wildlife officers have euthanized a mountain lion that had prowled around northern Utah County over the past week.
About 11 p.m. Thursday, the animal was located near a construction company site by 2100 North after it had been spotted on the railroad tracks near 1500 North earlier in the evening. State conservation officers caught up with it and "made the call to euthanize it," Lehi police spokeswoman Jeanteil Livingston said.
"Thank you for your patience as we've worked to try and resolve the problem. These animals are extremely fast, agile, and stealthy, making them very difficult to track, trap or corner, especially in a suburban environment," police added in a social media post Friday morning. "Tracking mountain lions in the terrain of a forest/mountain environment is vastly different than one with houses, vehicles, sheds, fences of all sizes, heights and materials."
Lehi police had warned residents about the mountain lion after home cameras detected one wandering around a neighborhood near 660 North and Woods Drive early Monday morning. Officers conducted extra patrols and advised parents not to let their children walk to school after the discovery.
Residents were also asked to bring their pets inside as a precaution. Police also reported on Thursday that there had been "periodic sightings" of the mountain lion before the animal was located.
While the area where the mountain lion was first seen was between two mountain ranges and just north of Utah Lake, it was unusual to see a mountain lion roam around the middle of town as it did, said Utah Division of Wildlife Resources biologist Scott Root.
"It could be walking through. It could be going to water," he said on Monday. "It could be a younger mountain lion just trying to find a territory, a place to hang out and live."
Division officials told KSL.com Friday that the mountain lion was a "young male." Since it had "become habituated to the area and being around people," the division decided to euthanize the animal out of possible public safety concerns.
Utah is home to an estimated 1,600 to 2,700 adult mountain lions. The species is most likely to be found in foothill and canyon areas, according to Wild Aware Utah, a wildlife education website that the division co-created. It can also be drawn into yards because of pet food, water sources, bird feeders and fruit, and any wildlife, pets or livestock.
Anyone who does come across one should maintain eye contact while picking up any children or pets or keeping them close. People should stand up, make themself look bigger, and then wave their arms or jackets above their head. It's recommended to talk firmly in a loud voice and back away slowly.
Contributing: Andrew Adams
