Recent social media reports show a mountain lion roaming along the Kanab Creek, with videos from locals showing the big cat taking cover in the brush along the Kanab Creek Drive dip and north of Kanab. Some of these posts state the loss of goats or chickens, or sightings of dead deer that could be a cougar kill.
Locals to the area are cautioned to keep an eye on children, pets and livestock, especially in twilight hours when a big cat is likely to be on the prowl. Wild Aware Utah, a wildlife safety and education program coordinating with state authorities, offered some best practices for how to avoid a cougar encounter, and how to respond in the case of such a situation:
Do not hike or jog alone.
Travel in groups and keep everyone together, including children and dogs.
Make noise while hiking to alert cougars of your presence.
Leave the area if you find a dead animal, especially deer or elk, because it could be a cougar kill. The cougar may return to the cache site and defend its food.
Keep a clean camp. Store food and garbage in an odor-free, locked container or hung between two trees where cougars (and bears) cannot get it.
If you encounter a cougar:
Stop. Never run from a cougar. Do not approach the cougar.
Maintain eye contact.
Pick up children and pets or keep them very close.
Stand up tall.
Do not crouch or squat.
Make yourself look bigger by raising and waving your arms or jacket above your head.
Talk firmly in a loud voice, back away slowly and leave the area.
Fight back if you are attacked! Protect your head and neck.
If you are aggressive enough the cougar will probably flee.
If you have an encounter with aggressive wildlife, please report it to the nearest Utah Division of Wildlife Resources office. If the encounter or sighting occurs after hours or on the weekend, please call your local police department or county sheriff’s office, who can contact a conservation officer to handle the situation.
In cases of emergency, call 911. In non-emergency situations that require an active response from local animal control, such as the animal occupying property without actively threatening an individual, Kane County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch can be reached at (435)-644-2349. For sightings and reporting, the Department of Wildlife Resources office for the Utah Southern Region can be reached at (435)-865-6100.
