Horse found dead east of Bend; killed by cougar?

Bend resident Theresa Denham believes it’s no mystery how her retired show horse ended up dead and mutilated in a canal behind her property off Dodds Road east of Bend.

“He was ripped open though his neck to his chest and was partially eaten by what (I) presume to be a cougar,” Denham said Thursday. “His name was Miracle Walker, but we called him Willie. He was a phenomenal horse.”

Denham said the real mystery is why she and other neighbors were not warned.

“We called (the Oregon Department of) Fish and Wildlife,” Denham said. “They said there have been cougar sightings in the area. It’s appalling that people weren’t notified there was a killer cat.”

The ODFW confirmed Thursday afternoon that at least one cougar was reported to be seen in the area Monday.

However, ODFW biologist Cory Heath in Bend said the agency cannot confirm how the horse died.

Heath said wildlife officials spent several hours Thursday afternoon investigating and could find no evidence of cougars in the area, or that the horse was killed by a cougar. He said because the horse was buried, they could not examine its remains.

The body of the Tennessee Walker was discovered Wednesday afternoon by employees with the Central Oregon Irrigation District. They took a photo of the horse and then buried it.

Heath said he has viewed the photo but could not determine the cause of death.

Nearby residents told NewsChannel 21 that two cougars recently were spotted on a road with the apparently fitting name of ‘Cougar Trail’ — located only a couple of miles from Denham’s home.

Neighbors said they are now keeping a closer eye on animals, and worry about the young children living in the area.

Denham said she’s lucky her other five horses are safe and she will no longer be putting them in pastures until the cougar is captured.

“We pulled all of our horses into small paddocks really close to the barn,” Denham said.

Heath said cougars are known to live in the area and nearby Oregon Badlands. He said residents of the area should always be aware of wild animals and can report cougar sighting. The Bend field office’s number is 541-388-6363.

Oregon is home to more than 5,000 cougars, also called mountain lions, according to its Web page on the topic.