Mountain Lion Caught in Middle of Omaha Nebraska

Omaha World Herald ^

[Mean Daddy]

OMAHA (AP) - A mountain lion was captured deep inside city limits Wednesday after being shot by a zoo official with a tranquilizer dart.

The large cat was spotted walking in a park near homes and businesses only blocks away from one of the city's busiest intersections, 114th Street and West Dodge Road.

Henry Doorly Zoo employees were called out by police to help capture and care for the animal. Zoo Director Lee Simmons said he shot the animal with a tranquilizer dart at a creek bed near 112th and Davenport streets around the noon hour.

The cat was tranquilized moments after it lunged at a police officer, who fired upon the animal with a shotgun, said Officer Cathy Martinec, a police spokeswoman.

"The officer had enough time to turn, discharge his shotgun and roll out of the way," Martinec said.

The officer was not injured. His name was not immediately available.

The cat's hind leg was only grazed by the buck shot, Simmons said.

The animal was immediately taken to the zoo, where it was being treated and was in good condition, Simmons said.

The cat was first spotted at around 11:30 a.m. CDT by a pair of workers with the state Department of Roads working in the area, Martinec said. The animal was captured around 1 p.m.

"He ran into the creek bed and we had numerous sightings after he ran away," Martinec said.

There was no evidence that the cat had been domesticated, such as marks from a collar or worn claws from walking on concrete for extended periods of time, Simmons said.

"This was a wild cat and it wasn't anything that somebody had as a pet," said Simmons, who added the animal was extremely aggressive.

Simmons said he believes the cat wandered into the area along the Platte River and then up the Big Papillion Creek, which runs through Omaha near where the cat was found.

Simmons said the male cat appeared to have been alone.

The cat was five and a half long from its head to the start of its tail, and it weighed about 180 pounds, Martinec said.

Simmons said the animal probably would not have charged an adult, but it would have gone after a child or small dog if it were hungry.

Cat tracks found in nearby Lamp Park, just west of Interstate 680, indicate the mountain lion had been there for a couple of days, Martinec said.

It is only the 11th confirmed sighting of a mountain lion in Nebraska since 1991. This is the first in the Omaha area.

Martinec said that while officers are trained on how to shoot and stop wild animals, no one expects to confront a mountain lion in Omaha.

"We don't have training exactly for a mountain lion," Martinec said.

[Mean Daddy]

Heard this at lunch today. If you're at all familiar with Omaha, this isn't on the outskirts, but in the middle of town.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Surprised to hear this. Seriously, how could there be native "mountain" lions in a plains state?

[Rocky Mountain High]

One was creeping around our townhome community a few months ago here in Colorado Springs. I'm an animal lover and all, but it was still nerve-wracking.

[Mean Daddy]

They're all over out here. I live in Council Bluffs, Iowa (across from Omaha) and my in-laws live north of us about an hour and they've seen several. There was a horse attacked about year ago about a mile or so from our house and where I deer hunt, they've spotted several.

[mallardx]

mountain lions lived all over the continent before it was settled. so did grizzlies. there are lions everywhere in colorado, mountains, plains, desert. there are mtn lions in wisconsin, in missouri. they're back and doing well. all good. i'm not into capital letters today...

[Eska]

Mnt lions have been expanding north also. Have been seen in eastern Alaska,(along the yukon border). Trapper got one year or so ago in southeast Alaska; in a wolf snare.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Very interesting. Guess my understanding of midwestern/plains topography, etc. is lacking. I have to assume that even if there isn't much in the way of hills or mountains, there must be substantial tree cover. I can't imagine mountain lions living out in the open.

[IYAS9YAS]

One was spotten within the city limits of Boise, ID on the greenbelt (path by the river).

[IYAS9YAS]

Sheesh...spotten s/b spotted.

[fqued]

The problem is calling them mountain lions.
They have a variety of names: cougar, puma, panther wild cat, even catamount.
They like rocky areas, or rugged areas, not necessarily mountains.

[Defiant]

Mountain lions ate a couple ladies in the past ten years in the mountains east of San Diego. They haven't been hunted for so long, they get brave. Now, they chase after them when they see them, to keep them afraid of people.

[IronJack]

I work about a mile or two north of this. It's near the Old Mill area, as far as I can tell.

Just one more reason to go armed, it would seem ...

[org.whodat]

Seriously, how could there be native "mountain" lions in a plains state?

Can't read the no cat sign's. Actually I've seen their tracks here in Virginia.

[paperclipfairy]

No kidding?

I work not too far from there - 90th and Blondo.
Traffic in that part of town is bad enough without any large, dangerous animals running around!

[MD_Willington_1976]

They are even out on Vancouver Island Off the West coast of Canada (Where I grew up). We used to always pack a Remington 870 with 00 buck or a 30-06 whenever we went venturing out into the woods...

Some facts:

There are approximately 4,000 cougars in British Columbia with the highest concentrations in the Kootenays, Southern Interior, Vancouver Island and Cariboo regions of the province. Most cougar attacks occur on Vancouver Island, which has the highest concentration of British Columbia's cougars.

In the past 100 years, a total of eleven people, 10 of them were children, have been killed by cougar attacks in B.C. With the majority of these fatal cougar attacks occurring on Vancouver Island. During the same period, there were 29 non-fatal attacks, 20 of which occurred on Vancouver Island. The vast majority of these attacks were on children under the age of 16.

[jim_trent]

That is right in the middle of the largest road construction site (other than the Interstate) in the City of Omaha. The cat was probably hired as a flagman in order to meet some diversity quota.

[Eska]

Exactly why most Alaskans shoot bears whenever they start hanging around cabins. Just a matter of time until they cause problems or pull a kid down.