Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
LOGAN — There were scary moments for Logan residents on Tuesday, as a mountain lion ran through several front and backyards before being caught by wildlife officials.
The Logan City Police Department said the mountain lion was first spotted near the Logan City Cemetery at approximately 6:40 a.m.
Police say an officer spotted the lion as it headed toward Utah State University student housing and Aggie Village, prompting campus police to issue a warning over the Aggie Safe app. Hillcrest Elementary School was also alerted as a precaution.
The lion left the campus and moved into a neighborhood on 1640 E. 1400 North. Resident Boyd Crookston said he called 911 as the mountain lion was spotted in his backyard.
"I walked into my house, and I looked on the deck, and the cat was sitting right there," Crookston said.
After Crookston called police, first responders approached Elise Anderson's home. Anderson said she noticed the large group of Logan police and Utah Division of Wildlife Resource officers congregating around her house and she got her husband.
"So I was sitting in a work meeting, and my wife comes freaking out saying, 'Hey, they're a bunch of cops and (DWR) agents in our front yard,'" said Dane Anderson, Elise's husband.
Dane Anderson said he walked outside and officers asked him to go back inside since there was a mountain lion in the couple's backyard.
"And sure enough, me and my wife went and looked out the window and there is a massive, probably 120-pound cougar laying in the backyard, perched up," he said.
Sam Robertson, a wildlife district biologist for Cache and Ogden units, said officers were able to corner the mountain lion and tranquilize it.
"You know, you're dealing with a wild animal that can go all kinds of directions, do all kinds of things," Roberston said. "Luckily, we were able to get it in a place where it held tight and we were able to get a dart in it."
It's an experience the Andersons won't forget anytime soon.
"I mean, the mountain lion part of it was scary. But I would say the scariest part is when you have 30 cops showing up surrounding your house and you have no idea what for," Dane Anderson said.
"I thought (the officers) handled it really well. I thought everybody was staying calm and they took care of it really smoothly, so I didn't have to have panic inside," Elise Anderson said.
Robertson said the lion probably came down to the cemetery to search for roaming deer. Wildlife officials will perform a health assessment on the lion before deciding to release it back into the wild.
