Mountain lion visits downtown Hot Springs

Residents of Hot Springs have been on the look out for an intruder since last Wednesday.

Chief of Police Tim Coleman, town volunteers and Tribal Fish and Game searched the town for a mountain lion that was spotted near Buck's Grocery on Main Street. Danny Smith of Hot Springs sighted the lion walking down Main Street about 9 a.m. He told police it looked to be about a 2-year-old male. No other people have reported seeing it. Coleman said that at that age, male cougars weigh between 75 and 100 pounds and can be dangerous.

Coleman didn't ask for a lot of volunteers because he didn't want a large group of people walking around town with loaded rifles. "I don't want to put him down unless I have to, but I have a responsibility to the town," said Coleman, who raised two African lions and a leopard for three years when he lived in Superior. He believes one of them was poisoned; the other two were given away.

Officials and volunteers searched the town most of the day Wednesday. One teenager left school with a rifle in search of the animal, but didn't see it.

Coleman made a visit to Hot Springs school to let school officials know about the sighting. Larry Markuson, the school superintendent, delayed a physical education class for about 45 minutes and advised students to travel in groups between buildings. Markuson also sent a letters to the students' parents to let them know about the mountain lion sighting.

The chief said word got around town about the cat, so likely many more people are being watchful for it. Coleman said the mountain lion may have wandered into town in search of food or maybe to establish his territory. "He may have been attracted to the smell of food in town," said Coleman.

Tom Chianelli, a game warden with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, based in Thompson Falls, said the lion may have gone into town because of all the deer. "They'll follow the deer right into town," he said. Although Hot Springs is under the jurisdiction of Tribal Fish and Game, Chianelli said FWP has a "zero tolerance" policy toward mountain lions. "If we could dart it, we would, but most likely we'd have to dispatch it," said Chianelli, who's been assigned to Sanders County for about five years. The game warden said bears are easier to catch in a trap than lions.

The town gets several black bears entering the town limits, but seldom mountain lions. Coleman was told that a lion was seen at the school playground a few years ago. No one has yet been hurt by bears or lions in town. Coleman wants to remind people they are wild animals and warns people not to approach them. Chianelli seldom gets reports of mountain lions entering towns, although one was spotted on the east end of Plains about three weeks ago, and he has seen cougar tracks near Thompson Falls.

Coleman said he may ask Chianelli if he would give a talk to students on how to react if they encounter a mountain lion. "The big thing is don't panic," said Coleman, who added that if a person spots a lion, he or she should call 911 or Hot Springs City Hall.