A Grassy Butte area rancher killed a mountain lion kitten in his home Wednesday evening after returning home to find it had killed four house cats.
Ed Tarnavsky said he returned to his home about eight miles northwest of Grassy Butte shortly after dark to find the lion on his porch.
“I heard a commotion on the porch and looked to see a big cat’s tail,” but it wasn’t one of his cats, Tarnavsky said.
He saw four of his house cats dead and retrieved a .22 pistol he kept near the door and shot the lion.
Robert Timian, chief game warden for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, said the ranch is in an area where mountain lions are present.
Mountain lions have been killed in or near occupied buildings in North Dakota, but Timian said it is the first reported case of one being killed in a residence.
He said it’s possible the mountain lion was attracted by the scent of the cats.
Timian said the homeowner was within his rights to kill the animal.
The lion was a 38-pound female kitten still in spots, said Randy Kreil, wildlife chief for the game and fish department.
Tarnavsky said an oil company dropped off a package at his front door during the day and apparently did not close the front door.
He said the cat was agitated and “bouncing” around on his porch. Tarnavsky said he had other cats in his home that were unharmed.
“So, I guess I shot a mountain lion in my house last night,” he said.
Ed Tarnavsky said he returned to his home about eight miles northwest of Grassy Butte shortly after dark to find the lion on his porch.
“I heard a commotion on the porch and looked to see a big cat’s tail,” but it wasn’t one of his cats, Tarnavsky said.
He saw four of his house cats dead and retrieved a .22 pistol he kept near the door and shot the lion.
Robert Timian, chief game warden for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, said the ranch is in an area where mountain lions are present.
Mountain lions have been killed in or near occupied buildings in North Dakota, but Timian said it is the first reported case of one being killed in a residence.
He said it’s possible the mountain lion was attracted by the scent of the cats.
Timian said the homeowner was within his rights to kill the animal.
The lion was a 38-pound female kitten still in spots, said Randy Kreil, wildlife chief for the game and fish department.
Tarnavsky said an oil company dropped off a package at his front door during the day and apparently did not close the front door.
He said the cat was agitated and “bouncing” around on his porch. Tarnavsky said he had other cats in his home that were unharmed.
“So, I guess I shot a mountain lion in my house last night,” he said.
