Early last week a mountain lion snatched a family’s dog from their yard and killed it behind Ace Hardware in the Village of Oak Creek.
The dog, approximately 12 pounds, was in the yard with the family’s other two dogs when the mountain lion attacked, according to owner AnnaLee Hayden.
Arizona Game and Fish Spokesman Zenon Mocarski said a game warden was called to the scene and determined the attacking animal was in fact a mountain lion.
The mountain lion dropped the dog near a wash behind the home on Arrowhead when Hayden’s husband scared it.
Mocarski said based on the puncture wounds and tracks found in the wash, Game and Fish determined it was a mountain lion rather than a bobcat or coyote.
“It’s pretty easy to distinguish between a mountain lion and a coyote,” Mocarski said. Since the attack. Hayden said on Monday, Oct. 27, around 4 p.m. her neighbor came over and told her to keep her children inside because the mountain lion was spotted in a yard a few doors down.
Hayden said she and her family love the wildlife; she’s simply concerned about the safety of the many children who play in the neighborhood.
“It’s always been considered a safe place,” Hayden said.
The mountain lion also seems to be unafraid of humans, Hayden said. Neighbors need to respect and be aware of the animal’s presence.
“It’s a magnificent animal but it’s hitting a little too close to home,” Hayden said.
Mocarski said Game and Fish plans to distribute door hangers in the area calling residents’
attention to the situation and encouraging people to report sightings.
“There are plans to continue monitoring this situation,” Mocarski said.
However, a mountain lion killing a dog isn’t necessarily abnormal behavior, according to Mocarski, but if the animal continues to roam the neighborhood action may need to be taken.
Reports from residents weigh heavily in Game and Fish’s decision on what to do about the animal, Mocarski said, and animals aren’t always killed.
“It’s an examination of behavior as a whole,” Mocarski said.
To report an animal sighting, call the Game and Fish office in Flagstaff at (928) 774-5045.
Trista Steers can be reached at 282-7795, ext. 124, or e-mail to tsteers@larsonnewspapers.com
