The City of Mercer Island is warning of a cougar sighting near Mercer Island's Pioneer Park Monday morning.
The cougar was "observed clearly" on security camera footage in the 6400 block of East Mercer Way before dawn, according to information from the city.
Pioneer Park is a 113-acre forest containing 6.6 miles of trails.
Though cougars have been known to appear in areas of high density occasionally, it is "very uncommon on Mercer Island," according to the city. Such appearances are "almost always" brief as animals move in search of a more suitable habitat.
"Cougars are big time travelers," said Capt. Alan Myers of Fish and Wildlife.
Myers says that cougars can travel hundreds of miles in search of food and new territory and it's not out of the ordinary if those travels take them through residential or even urban areas. It's likely this cougar was passing through Mercer Island on its search for food.
"There are many ways it could have traveled (to Mercer Island), more likely it traveled on land but it's not unusual to travel in water as well," he said.
Myers says there has only been one sighting and the cougar has not displayed any signs of aggression. It's possible the cougar is still in the area, but it is also possible it's already moved on.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife is investigating and working with Mercer Island Police to look into whether there's been any other sightings.
Myers says residents don't need to be very concerned. He does suggest keeping tabs on pets and small children, especially at dawn and dusk.
"The extreme rareness to cause harm to a human is the biggest message," said Myers, "people are not on the menu."
Cougar attacks on humans are rare in Washington state. However, there have been two high-profile incidents recently. Last year, one man died and another was injured in an attack near North Bend - it was the second time in 100 years a cougar has been known to kill a human in the state. In June, a child playing near a playground in Leavenworth was knocked down by a cougar but managed to escape with minor injuries.
