Second NW Bend cougar sighting in less than a week prompts police reminder: Keep small animals secure, on leash

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – The second reported cougar sighting in northwest Bend in less than a week had Bend Police reminding residents Thursday to keep small animals secure and on a leash.

The cougar sighting was reported shortly before 8 a.m. in the 1500 block of Northwest Remarkable Drive, Police Communications Manager Sheila Miller said. That's about two miles northeast of last Saturday's sighting.

“Community service officers conducted an area check and were unable to locate the cougar,” Miller said, adding that the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife had been advised of the sighting.

A resident in the 2500 block of Northwest O'Brien Court told police a young cougar had been in her yard Saturday morning before running off, prompting officers to search the area, including nearby Central Oregon Community College, but they did not find the animal.

The call came in shortly after 11 a.m. Saturday, Miller said, and the caller showed officers a video of the cougar in the yard before it ran off to the southwest.

After the fruitless search, police shared information about the cougar sighting with ODFW and Oregon State Police, Miller said.

At this time, Miller said, "Bend Police would like to caution community members to be alert to your surroundings. Protect your pets by keeping them on leash."

While ODFW reports that cougar attacks on people are extremely rare, Miller said "you should not approach any wildlife, and if you encounter a cougar, you should give it a way to escape." 

You can report cougar sightings to non-emergency dispatch at 541-693-6911 "or ODFW if you believe the animal poses a threat to humans," she said. 

Last October, Bend Police shot and killed a cougar near Northwest Roanoke Avenue after several sightings in the area led them to a deer-kill site in a home's backyard, prompting a warning to neighbors.

And in July 2022, authorities shot and killed a cougar near a Deschutes River Woods home, hours after two men fired several shots at the animal, which they said was acting aggressively near a deer kill, prompting an alert to area residents to stay in their homes.

Learn more about cougars in Oregon here: https://www.dfw.state.or.us/wildlife/living_with/docs/cougarbroch.pdf