Cougar kills pet alpaca

A cougar sighted around Eatonville for the past few months made its first known killing when it pounced on a pet alpaca over the weekend, according to officers from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Search dogs were sent out Tuesday night to help find the cougar, but only managed to detect its den on a hillside, said Sgt. Ted Jackson.

"From the [cougar] tracks that were found, it looks like a male," Jackson said.

On Saturday, he said, the cougar sprang on the lone alpaca, which was behind a fence on private property. The alpaca's owners made noise and scared the cougar away.

The department has received reports about the cougar in and around Eatonville since early this year, Jackson said. But the animal has never been blamed for an attack until now.

"There are a lot of deer in the area, and that's their primary food," he said. "For it to kill a domestic animal, it's getting too close to houses."

When wildlife, such as bears, lose their fear of humans, officers sometimes set traps with sugary treats. As the bear enters the trap and goes for the bait, the door closes, and the bear can be taken to another location.

But traps like that don't work with cougars, Jackson said.

Instead, dogs are used to chase the predators up a tree. The cougars are then tranquilized, captured and collared. Then they are either relocated or euthanized, according to the department's Web site.

But, it states, "relocation often is not effective, with moved animals becoming repeat offenders or dying because they are not able to establish a home range."

Jackson said while it's not unusual to spot a cougar in the area, he encourages people to report all sightings.

"Now, there is more of a chance seeing them with the [increased] daylight," he said.

Sonia Krishnan: 206-515-5546 or skrishnan@seattletimes.com