St. Paul Couple Spots Mountain Lion On Grand Avenue
ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- Last Friday, while grilling on Jacob Todd's rooftop patio near Dale Street and Grand Avenue, Todd and his girlfriend, Abigail Marcus, said they heard something disturbing.
"We both lit up a couple of cigarettes and there was a shriek from across the street in the Pier 1 Imports parking lot," said Todd.
He said what he saw next was something completely unexpected. Todd and Marcus report they saw a mountain lion feasting a neighborhood cat.
"I put this one around 70 pounds," Todd said. "It had a big long, balancing assisting tail, strong long legs and a firm slender long body."
He called animal control but they were closed, so he dialed non-emergency dispatch.
"It then ran back behind Pier 1 and then after that we're pretty sure we saw it right in between the two apartment buildings straight across from ours," Marcus said.
NewsRadio 830 WCCO's Edgar Linares Reports
St. Paul Couple Spots Mountain Lion On Grand Avenue
Capt. Greg Salo with Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said they get at least one call each year of a mountain lion roaming through St. Paul.
"We're starting to get more and more reports of them," he said.
Salo said most of his calls are near the St. Croix River area, or in Champlin where the Mississippi River passes through. He said the animals tend to stay near the river bottom and the river serves as a wildlife highway.
"Last year, or two years ago, we had one that moved from the Dakotas through Minnesota in matter of days and ended up in Michigan," Salo said.
Salo said the big cats sometimes take detours into the metro where there's an abundance of food.
The DNR said if you come across a mountain lion keep away, do not corner it or it could attack.
"If people are under the assumption that we're going to come and tranquilize it, that's not the case," Salo said.
Todd hopes he can get a photo or video of the feline before it leaves his street. He now carries a high definition camera when he takes a stroll outside.
"This is Grand Avenue," said Todd. "It's a little weird to see, but its nature."
