SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - Washington state wildlife biologists have caught and tagged a 197-pound (89-kilogram) cougar.
The Spokesman-Review reports that the biologists tagged the massive cat on Monday north of Chewelah.
State carnivore research scientist Brian Kertson called the cat a monster. He said it’s so muscular that the first tranquilizer dart he shot at it popped out as the cat flexed.
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Kertson says it’s the largest cougar caught in Washington state - as far as he knows.
Bart George, a wildlife biologist for the Kalispel Tribe, said the cougar was eating mostly elk.
It was captured as part of a predator/prey study.
Kertson has captured 20 cougars and collared 16 since December 2016.
On average, tom cougars weigh between 150 and 155 pounds.
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Information from: The Spokesman-Review, http://www.spokesman.com
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