Just hours before President Obama was scheduled to arrive in El Paso, police officers were involved in a wild chase of a mountain lion that wandered into downtown.
The mountain lion, a female weighing about 125 pounds, was spotted around a downtown intersection just before 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
The animal was cornered in a garage where it was shot with a tranquilizer dart. But before the drug could take effect, the cougar escaped.
An animal control officer and El Paso police trailed the animal through a school yard, neighborhoods and business areas before cornering him at a business. After a second tranquilizer dart failed to subdue the cougar, two El Paso police officers and a state alcohol control agent opened fire killing the animal.
The shooting will receive an El Paso police review, according to a police statement issued Tuesday.
Such mountain lion sightings in El Paso are rare but not unheard of because of the proximity of the Franklin Mountains.
Was it a Moutain Lion or a Cougar?
Was it male or female?
Someone needs to proff read these articles before posting tham online!
Posted by: Misty Barnes | May 11, 2011 at 06:24 AM
Someone needs to "proff" read your comment!!!
Posted by: Vickie Holbrook | May 11, 2011 at 03:08 PM
Why did they kill it? There's no way it could have harmed the liberal messiah...
Posted by: Psycho Steve | May 12, 2011 at 07:40 AM
I see the wildlife hates Obama too.
Posted by: Notch Johnson | May 12, 2011 at 09:55 AM
Mountain lions & cougars are the same animal, just as are catamounts and panthers.
Posted by: Maria Blakely | May 12, 2011 at 01:35 PM
you can use both mountain lion or cougar here in texas.. even puma!
Posted by: Sara | May 12, 2011 at 01:47 PM
Whatever it was, be it mountain lion or cougar, its life was infinitely more important than Obama's visit. What a shame...
Posted by: Thomas Sullivan | May 12, 2011 at 03:58 PM
The story says it was female.
The cougar is also known as a puma, mountain lion, mountain cat, catamount or panther. It's all the same animal depending on the region.
Posted by: Alan | May 12, 2011 at 06:19 PM
Misty, Cougars are sometimes referred to as Mountain Lions. And it says in the article it was female. Also, you need to proof read you're own comments before you criticize this article.
Posted by: Hannah | May 13, 2011 at 08:34 AM
I think that killing it with lethal force was a bit excessive. It's a shame to say but it seems EP officers are getting a bit trigger happy. We have seen multiple incidents where lethal force is unnecessary. Albeit a big cougar, there should've been either a larger dose given or been given more time for it to take effect. From footage taped, I did not see the need to kill it.
Posted by: Cardjubilee | May 13, 2011 at 09:34 AM