SNOHOMISH — A cougar was spotted Tuesday morning off S. Machias Road, near Centennial Middle School and the Centennial Trail.
Students ate lunch indoors as a precaution, Snohomish School District spokeswoman Kristin Foley said. The cougar wasn’t close enough to campus to prompt a lockdown.
A Snohomish County sheriff’s sergeant was at the school for a routine safety check around 10:30 a.m. when he saw the animal, spokeswoman Shari Ireton said.
“He saw it dash out in front of the car. It was very large,” she said. “He tried to follow it, but it took off into the brush.”
The sergeant notified the school and state wildlife agents. He then drove along both directions of the trail warning bicyclists and joggers, Ireton said. He searched for about 45 minutes without spotting the animal again.
“With all this nice weather and a lot of people using the trail, we just want people to keep an eye out,” Ireton said.
As of late afternoon, there were no further sightings of the cougar, said Capt. Alan Myers with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. There also have been no reports of cougar attacks on pets or livestock in the area. A wildlife officer was out investigating Tuesday.
A cougar was spotted in the area last week, but it was closer to Lake Stevens, Myers said.
“They are extremely prevalent. We get dozens and dozens of calls of sightings,” he said.
The cougar sighting was unrelated to a bomb threat written in a boy’s bathroom on campus Tuesday, which did cause the school to be evacuated shortly after noon while police swept the building. Classes resumed about an hour later after no danger was found.
Adult cougars prey on deer, elk, moose, goats and sheep. Thousands are believed to live in the Cascade Range. Males can grow nearly three feet tall and up to eight feet long. Cougar attacks on humans are extremely rare.
In 2012, a 100-pound female cougar was relocated to a wilder area in north Snohomish County. Bear relocations are more common in the region, though. In April, Fish and Wildlife was working to trap a bear along I-5 near Stanwood.
“We haven’t seen that little guy for a couple weeks now,” Myers said Tuesday.
Last summer, wildlife in the Lake Stevens area made headlines after a large male otter attacked people more than once in the Pilchuck River. The otter was tracked down and killed.
Experts advise people to keep pets indoors at night and avoid leaving pet food and water dishes outside to avoid encounters with cougars. Garbage should be secured, as should areas underneath porches and decks.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.
What to do if you encounter a cougar:
- Stop, stand tall. Don’t run. A cougar’s instinct is to chase.
- Pick up small children.
- Do not approach the animal, especially if it is near a kill or with its kittens.
- Try to appear larger than the cougar. Never take your eyes off the animal or turn your back. Do not crouch down or try to hide.
- If the animal displays aggressive behavior, shout, wave your arms and throw rocks. The idea is to convince the cougar that you are a potential danger, not prey.
- If the cougar attacks, fight back aggressively and try to stay on your feet. Cougars have been driven away by people who have fought back.
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