A county-designated trapper caught a mountain lion Tuesday after
an Aromas rancher reported two steers killed the previous day, the
agriculture commissioner said.
A county-designated trapper caught a mountain lion Tuesday after an Aromas rancher reported two steers killed the previous day, the agriculture commissioner said.
A rancher off Anzar Road on Monday discovered two dead steers of about 450 pounds each. He suspected a mountain lion may have been responsible and reported it to the agriculture commissioner’s office.
On Monday night, a county-hired expert with the U.S. Department of Agriculture put out a trap, and there was a mountain lion in the cage Tuesday morning, said Ron Ross, San Benito County’s agriculture commissioner.
The male lion was about 100 pounds and has been euthanized, which is a state requirement when the big cats are captured after such encounters.
There have been occasional reports from local ranchers of possible cougar attacks – some officials have expressed concern about a growing population and needing a statewide count of the species – but it is uncommon around here to actually capture one in a trap, or large cage with a door that shuts when an animal enters.
“To my knowledge, this is the first time (with a capture) on the San Benito County side of Aromas,” Ross said.
The area where the trapper caught the lion is mostly rural with pockets of residential neighborhoods nearby. The trap was located about 100 yards from a residence, according to officials.
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