After reports of a cougar being in the Lowry Hill and Lake of the Isles neighborhoods of Minneapolis, there is word Wednesday morning that potentially that same cougar has been struck and killed on a west metro highway.
According to a Facebook video posted Wednesday, an SUV with serious front end damage can be seen in the post, and the cougar dead along the highway. (Warning: linked video contains footage of a dead animal)
The driver told WCCO-TV that it happened on Interstate 394 near Highway 100. The driver is said to be fine without any serious injury.
It's not officially known if this is the same cougar that was seen in surveillance video from residents over the last couple of days, but the animals are very rare in Minnesota, especially in the metro area.
Fourteen verified sightings of cougars have occurred in Minnesota in the last four years. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says the number of sightings indicate that cougar occurrence in Minnesota is a result of transient animals from the Western Dakotas. There is no evidence of a breeding population of cougars in the state.
Any sighting should be reported to a local conservation officer. Cougars are a protected species and may only be killed by a licensed peace officer or authorized permit holder.