Sheriff’s deputies on Monday euthanized a cougar near Corvallis after determining it posed a threat to humans, officials said.
The deputies located the juvenile male cougar around 3:40 p.m. at a property on Northwest Camellia Drive, just outside Corvallis city limits. The animal had killed a goat there the day before and had returned to the area apparently to continue feeding on it when Benton County sheriff’s deputies arrived, officials said.
The young cougar — which appeared unafraid of people, officials said — had also appeared in various area residents’ backyards in broad daylight and had made appearances within Corvallis city limits.
The Benton County Sheriff’s Office said the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife supported the decision to kill the animal, which is permitted under Oregon law if a cougar is deemed a threat to human safety.
The state puts the number of cougars in Oregon at more than 6,000 as of 2023. Cougars rarely attack humans; fatalities from cougar attacks on people are virtually unheard of in Oregon, with one relatively recent notable exception being a 2018 attack that left a hiker dead on Mt. Hood.
But while fatal encounters between humans and cougars are rare in the state, it isn’t uncommon for cougars to kill livestock, and such attacks frequently involve, such as in this case, young cougars that aren’t very experienced at hunting, or females trying to feed their young, officials said.
“Cougars are an important part of Oregon’s ecosystem,” Benton County Undersheriff Don Rogers said in a statement. “Unfortunately, when they prey on livestock in a residential or agricultural area and become a threat to human safety, intervention becomes necessary. The decision to euthanize wildlife is the last resort, but it is our responsibility to protect people and their animals.”
Officials recommended that people living in rural or exurban areas take the following precautions to prevent conflicts with cougars:
Keep small livestock and pets in secure enclosures, especially at night
Use motion-activated lights or guard animals to deter cougars from preying on livestock
Feed pets inside
Officials added that people should only call 911 about a cougar sighting if the animal repeatedly shows up near homes during the day, charges or growls at people, or attacks pets or livestock.
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