KETCHUM, Idaho (KLIX) – Law officers are urging caution in the area of Picabo Street in Ketchum, where a mountain lion was found under a vehicle on Sunday afternoon.

The big cat was found a little before 3 p.m. in the area of The Hemingways condominiums. Deputies, assisted by officers with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, coaxed the animal away from the area, according to the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities said the cat left but it may still be in the area because evidence of fresh deer kills were also found.

Recently, a number of mountain lion sightings have been reported in the Wood River Valley. On Jan. 26, a mountain lion was euthanized after it killed a dog in a Ketchum neighborhood. Just a few days later, on Jan. 30, a Mackay woman broke up a fight between her dog and what she thought was another canine but was actually a mountain lion.

Elsewhere, another mountain was euthanized on Jan. 4 near Lava Hot Springs when it wandered into town, creating potential dangers for the public.

Previously, the sheriff’s office said sightings of the big cats were on the rise and had been reported in Gimlet and Warm Springs in northern Ketchum; Elkhorn, Northstar Meadows, North Hiawatha Drive off Buttercup Road in Hailey; and Griffin Ranch, Chantrelle Subdivision and Broadford Road in Bellevue.

Please remember Mountain Lions live near the cities year-round and it is normal behavior for them to travel looking for deer and other food sources, especially in the winter. Mountain lions are most active from dusk until dawn and will attack or kill domestic animals.

The best thing you can do is to remain alert. Keep small children, cats, dogs and other pets inside if possible. Do not feed pets outside during the winter and when your pets need to go outside, you may want to accompany them during the nighttime hours. Watch your animals for unusual behavior, which may alert you that wildlife could be nearby.

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