A false alarm in Oregon led to a city-wide warning a couple of potential cougar on the unfastened.
On Thursday, an animal was noticed in Cook Park in Tigard, Ore. The person who noticed the creature believed it might’ve been a cougar — often known as a mountain lion. The metropolis’s public works division shared the information in a publish on X (previously referred to as Twitter) and inspired residents to “concentrate on your environment and leash up your dogs.”
The following day, the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) debunked the sighting after it was reported to them by Tigard’s public works division.
“That ‘cougar’ noticed at Cook Park in Tigard yesterday? Turns out it was a home cat,” the ODFW wrote in a publish as they retweeted an analogous false report from Mississippi in 2017, the place a home cat was mistaken for a cougar. “This occurs greater than you suppose.”
The company elaborated in one other publish about how officers distinguished between a cougar and a home cat when analyzing the blurry video of the suspected cougar in Cook Park {that a} resident captured.
“The video is grainy, however the #1 indicator is its measurement in comparison with the tree and compost/rubbish bin,” a follow-up tweet stated. “Also the fence is probably going 6 foot which places the cat at lower than 1 foot in peak.”
The ODFW added that the animal’s “coloration” offered one other clue that it was not a cougar.
“It’s not the precise tan and appears extra like an orange home cat,” a 3rd publish stated. “You’d be stunned how usually different animals (dogs, home cats, coyotes, bobcats) are reported as cougar sightings.”
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In gentle of the ODFW’s announcement that the animal was not a cougar, the Tigard public works division replied, describing the update as “nice information.”
It additionally famous that the city “has had confirmed sightings [of cougars] up to now,” however “fortunately, this time round, it was not one.”
“It’s higher to be cautious and conscious, and our neighborhood’s vigilance is significantly appreciated. Thank you @MyODFW on your help!”
