BOISE, Idaho — Before the sun was up, a neighborhood in Eagle was the backdrop for a catwalk, an unusually large catwalk.
The cat in question may be bigger than the feline many residents have at home. It was a mountain lion, according to officials and video captured by neighbors' doorbell cameras. Neighbors like Chris Samuelson told The 208 that they are familiar with animal visits
“About three nights ago, I had a racoon visiting my chicken coop and of course my chickens were all buttoned up nice and safe,” Samuelson said.
This, however, is a little different than a racoon
“When I saw the mountain lion, I freaked out and I ran outside and brought the yorkies back in the house,” Samuelson said.
Not exactly an enchanting storybook tale - a large cat goes for stroll in a Treasure Valley neighborhood and was caught on camera roaming too close to home for some.
It does beg a question for the cat, what was so paramount for this catamount to explore at 2 a.m.?
Using purrfectly placed video systems, neighbors pieced together the adventure path the mountain lion, which was named Michael, traveled.
Neighbors told KTVB that they think the reason Michael was roaming around their neighborhood was likely food or water-related.
“Well, I thought he was hunting,” Samuelson said. “I told my friends he was looking for a chicken dinner, we have a lot of chickens in this area.”
Neighbors were well aware of the visit their neighborhood had by early Friday as videos and pictures were shared across social media, which certainly caused some concerns in the community.
“All of my neighbors are on high alert, so everybody is aware that has kids and dogs. We are going to make sure everything is locked up tight at night,” Samuelson said.
In this instance, Samuelson said it appears Michael was well behaved, but neighbors are staying vigilant about a return.
“No harm, no foul yet, I just hope we don’t get to know Michael too well,” Samuelson said.
After receiving several calls throughout the day, the Ada County Sheriff’s Office took to social media to address concerns. In a tweet, they explained that Idaho Fish and Game believes the animal doesn’t pose a significant danger, but they want to know if someone sees it again.
If anyone sees the big cat, the Sheriff’s office asks that they please call non-emergency dispatch at 208-377-6790.
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