There’s been talk in the community and around City Center over the past few weeks about whether or not there is a cougar in or around Eden Prairie. If you haven’t heard this story yet, check it out at this link to the Eden Prairie Sun Current’s story. They did some nice reporting on the issue, including recollecting a couple of verified cougar stories from the south and west metro in the recent past.
We have received reports of the cougar, but have not independently verified it yet with our Animal Control staff. I’ve talked with our Animal Control staff and they tell me they’ve seen no direct evidence of the animal in Eden Prairie yet. We also have yet to take a 911 emergency call about the animal. So far, the calls we’ve received from concerned citizens who heard about the animal or think they saw it, but aren’t exactly sure. I’ve talked to one person, so far, who is 100% certain that he saw a cougar in Eden Prairie. That was back in February.
We have posted a statement about the cougar on the City’s website. You can check there for more information. We’re not ringing alarm bells and aggressively pursuing the animal because we have not accumulated enough information that it is out there and posing a threat to Eden Prairie citizens or their property. When we can verify that threat, we’ll act appropriately and take care of the problem.
