A cougar sighting was reported Tuesday morning near the Mill Race Path Jasper Road trail head in Springfield.
Joe Stack, assistant district wildlife biologist in the Springfield office of Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, urges people to use caution, especially at dusk and dawn.
“It’s important for people to just for people to be thinking about, if they are out and about recreating,” says Stack. “Obviously we live in cougar country. There are cougars and you can expect that there could be cougars most places you go in Lane County.”
Stack said by Tuesday afternoon, they had already received four calls about different cougar sightings in and around Lane County.
Stack adds urban development, when cities expand their boundaries, is likely the biggest cause of cougars being seen more and more near higher-density areas.
