A mountain lion was killed Wednesday evening by a Scotts Bluff County Sheriff’s deputy in a residential subdivision just north of the city of Scottsbluff.

The mountain lion was spotted twice on Wednesday in the Scotts Bluff Country Club subdivision that surrounds a golf course.

It was shot because it was an immediate threat to the public, said Jerry Kane of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

Sam Wilson, carnivore and furbearer program manager for Game and Parks, said the mountain lion was a year-and-a-half-old male, ear-tagged as part of the state’s research efforts. Wilson said at that age, young males begin leaving their mothers to find their own territory and potential mates.

Kane said the mountain lion first was seen and reported by a resident about 1:50 p.m. Mountain Time on Wednesday, June 19. Scotts Bluff County law enforcement and Game and Parks conservation officers and wildlife biologists searched but were unable to find the animal.

Another resident, who was southwest from the original sighting, reported seeing the lion at about 7 p.m. Wednesday. Officers responded, removing the animal for the safety of the public.

This mountain lion was part of the Wildcat Hills population, one of three established mountain lion populations in Nebraska.

The Wildcat Hills are an escarpment in western Nebraska between the North Platte River and Pumpkin Creek in Banner, Morrill, and Scotts Bluff counties. The high tableland between the streams has been eroded by wind and water into a region of forested buttes, ridges and canyons, according to Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia.

To learn more about mountain lions in Nebraska, visit OutdoorNebraska.gov and search “Mountain Lion Management.”

© 2024 The North Platte Bulletin. All rights reserved.