Cougar on the loose? Park closed

The almost certain presence of a cougar in Discovery Park in Magnolia led to the park's closure Thursday, only the third time Seattle's largest park has been shut down in its 37-year history.

State Fish and Wildlife officials now say there's a good bet there's a big cat prowling the neighborhood.

"I'm not 100 percent certain," Bill Hebner, with Fish and Wildlife's Mill Creek office, said Thursday. "But we've had some good credible sightings, which leads me to believe we do have a cougar in the neighborhood."

On Thursday, agency workers set a large trap in the park, baited with elk liver and fish, in hopes of trapping the elusive animal.

Over the past week, there have been at least three cougar sightings in Magnolia, one as recent as Wednesday night in the park. The park sighting was credible enough to lead officials to close the park.

"We recommended (the city) close the park until we get more information," said Hebner. "We don't want to create a panic."

He said cougar sightings are extremely rare in Seattle and officials were at first dubious about the various reported sightings, but now believe there likely is a cat in the neighborhood.

The 534-acre Discovery Park was closed in 1981 when a cougar was prowling the park. Fish and Wildlife officials eventually caught it and relocated it.

It was also closed during the fierce 1993 Inaugural Day storm, and then again Thursday.

Hebner said what made him believe the cougar exists was a talk he had with Magnolia resident Lori Jacobs, who said she saw the cougar when she was returning home at midnight earlier this week and spotted it in an alley.

Because she described the animal's long tail and how it loped away from her, that convinced Hebner that Jacobs did see a cougar. "The tail was a giveaway," he said.

On Thursday, the state baited the 10-foot trap and also brought in two Karelian bear dogs, trained to pick up the cougar scent and track the animals. Hebner said one dog reacted to a scent left where the cougar was sighted Wednesday night, near Fort Lawton.

The dogs have an instinctive tendency to face down a big animal without fear and can help chase a bear or cougar up a tree, which then allows a wildlife officer to tranquilize it.

What's hampering the search, said Hebner, is that cougars usually leave behind a food cache — the remains of food they've eaten — and that hasn't been found.

In 1981, officials found a pile of raccoon heads that confirmed the cougar's presence.

If officials can find a cache, they can be certain the cat will be somewhere within 100 yards.

Hebner said cougar attacks are extremely rare in the state. In the last century, he said, there have been 15 attacks, including a 5-year-old boy who was attacked Wednesday in Stevens County and was treated for several cuts, but released from the hospital. One person died in the 1920s in Okanogan County, said Hebner.

"The good news is this cougar is acting exactly as a cougar should. It's not aggressive," he said. "The bad news is he is a cougar."

He said cougars are very elusive and could live in Discovery Park and never be seen.

And while attacks on humans are rare, he said cougars do attack cats and dogs and said there are reports of missing cats in Magnolia. "I would not let my dogs and cats out," Hebner said. "I'd keep small pets indoors if they live in this neighborhood."

The city has closed Discovery Park until Monday "or when the animal is captured, whichever comes first." If the cougar hasn't been caught, parks officials said they will re-evaluate the decision next week.

The cougar sightings have caused a flurry of excitement in Magnolia over the past week. Not only did Jacobs see the cat near her home, another resident, Thomas Olson, was driving near 34th Avenue West on Sunday when he saw a cougar run into the road just ahead of his car. He chased it into Discovery Park and eventually the cat jumped over a high fence into the Fort Lawton Cemetery.

Another resident reported seeing a cougar near the Woodland Park Zoo, off Aurora Avenue North, and a couple reported spotting it Thursday night on the old parade grounds near Fort Lawton inside the park.

Penny Rose, education specialist with Discovery Park, said residents living in the park, including those living in Navy housing, have been notified about the cougar but there are no plans to evacuate them. "They're welcome to stay," she said.

Hebner knows closing the popular park during the last summer holiday weekend is not an easy decision. "It's very bad timing," he said. "We hated to make this recommendation, but public health and safety comes first."

Seattle Times staff reporter Katherine Long contributed to this report.

Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com