Police shoot roaming lion

The Daily Inter Lake

A young mountain lion roaming around homes in the lower Big Mountain area was dispatched Tuesday by Whitefish police.

Erik Wenum, a wildlife conflict specialist with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, had been pursuing the lion for about three weeks, but using tracking dogs was not possible because of high traffic and home density in the area.

He attempted to lure the lion with baited traps but was unsuccessful.

On Monday, Wenum and the Whitefish Police Department received reports of a mountain lion in the breezeway of a home. Considering the police response would be faster, Wenum requested assistance and officers shot the lion.

Jim Williams, the state's regional wildlife manager, said Fish, Wildlife and Parks has a no-tolerance policy for lions in highly urbanized settings because of public safety concerns. And he thanked Whitefish Police for their help.