Crosscut Now
Jan. 27, 2022 - Possible cougar sightings no cause for alarm
1/27/2022 | 1m 15sVideo has Closed Captions
Unconfirmed Seattle cougar sighting is no reason for alarm.
It's hard to predict the likelihood of running into cougars in a neighborhood, but the chance of any interaction is low.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Crosscut Now is a local public television program presented by Cascade PBS
Crosscut Now
Jan. 27, 2022 - Possible cougar sightings no cause for alarm
1/27/2022 | 1m 15sVideo has Closed Captions
It's hard to predict the likelihood of running into cougars in a neighborhood, but the chance of any interaction is low.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship(upbeat music) - I'm Starla Sampaco in the Crosscut KCTS9 newsroom.
Experts say an alleged and unconfirmed cougar sighting is no reason for alarm.
At the beginning of the year, a video surfaced of an animal slinking past cars in the early hours of the morning.
The moment was caught by a Seattle man's security camera.
West Seattle-ites became increasingly convinced the video featured a cougar, and more people said they saw a cougar around town.
However, cougar sightings are extremely rare in highly urban areas.
Dr. Brian Kurtzen, a carnivore research scientist at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, said he was pretty certain the animal in the video is not a cougar.
And for the most part, cougars aren't really interested in us.
When they do encounter people, they flee.
People who cross paths with a cougar should face the animal, try to appear large, make noise, and stand their ground until the cougar leaves.
I'm Starla Sampaco.
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