Watch: Cougar Spotted Near Northwest Liberty School

WOODINVILLE, WA - Northwest Liberty School recently had an unexpected visitor: a cougar. There were several sightings of the big cat prowling around the school, according to Principal Bob Hagin. Hagin said on the school's Facebook page that the Department of Fish and Wildlife assured them that the animal would not stick around.

Hagin said he was working in the office at 6 p.m. and heard a sound near the school's study lab. He went to check it out and saw a cougar was pawing at the window and another window had a lick mark on it. The video below includes security camera footage of the cougar. The school is located across from the Dairy Queen along Little Bear Creek.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife's says cougars "are solitary and secretive animals rarely seen in the wild." However, the decrease of habitats suitable for cougars means encounters with the public are more likely. The department receives hundreds of calls each year regarding cougar sightings.

The department estimates the cougar population in the state is roughly 1,900 to 2,100. (For more local news, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Woodinville Patch, click here to find your local Washington Patch. Also, follow us on Facebook, and if you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Image via Pixabay