Cougar spotted roaming in community west of the Twin Cities: "It's definitely alarming"
Forty miles west of Minneapolis, Howard Lake mixes water recreation with country living. But a couple weeks ago, the small town got a visit from an unexpected feline guest.
A security camera captured video of what appears to be a cougar strolling through a neighborhood.
"Generally, it's pretty quiet. People like to get out on their four-wheelers and have fun," said resident Jim Harvath. "Seeing a wild animal coming into town like that, this close, it's definitely alarming."
Just down the street from Harvath's house, another family's home security camera captured video of a large cat walking by their deck.
Wildlife experts said that while cougar or mountain lion sightings are rare for the area, they are not entirely unheard of. Last year there was a sighting in the nearby town of Dassel.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said the animal is likely passing through, and as long as it doesn't pose a threat to people or pets — and doesn't linger in town — they'll leave it alone.
Typically, the large cats avoid contact with humans, but they could view small animals as prey. That's why Harvath is keeping a close eye on Sonny, his Boston Terrier.
"Normally, we let Sonny off the chain to use the yard at night before bed. I've been coming out here with him just to make sure nothing happens," Harvath said. "A cougar is definitely out looking for food when they're in the area."
Harvath hopes the cougar safely gets to wherever it's going. He believes it's an animal worth admiring and avoiding.
"Beautiful. Very graceful and very pretty. But they have four-inch claws that can do some real damage," he said.
The animal was spotted near the north shore of Howard Lake in late July, and the DNR was made aware of it. No sightings in town have been reported since then.
