Two Dogs Die After Mountain Lion Attacks in Wood River Valley

KETCHUM, Idaho (KLIX)-Another two dogs died as a result of mountain lion attacks Wednesday in the mountain community of Ketchum.

Idaho Department of Fish and Game officers were called early Wednesday to a home where a dog had been attacked in a fenced back yard by a mountain lion; the pet survived the attack, but had to be put down by a veterinarian because of the severe injuries.

Shortly after the first attack, officers were informed of another attack in the general area, they called in a person who owned a hound dog to track down the cougar and found it under a deck across the street from where it had killed another dog. Fish and Game officers euthanized the cat for public safety.

“The mountain lions living within our local communities seem to be growing more accustomed to hunting in and around neighborhoods,” according to Senior Conservation Officer Clark Shackelford said in a prepared statement. He added, “The large number of resident deer and elk are bringing the lions into town, and then the lions, which normally feed on these animals, are also finding that there are other things to prey upon, which unfortunately can include local residents pets.”

Earlier on Monday, two other dogs had been attacked by mountain lions in separate incidents, one of the dogs was killed. There have been similar attacks by mountain lions in previous years in the Wood River Valley.