MOUNTAIN LION SHOT IN SCOTTSBLUFF NEBRASKA

A mountain lion that had wandered into Scottsbluff Monday morning was shot and killed by Game and Parks Supervisor Jim Zimmerman. The animal was shot with a 12-gague shotgun while it was hiding behind concrete pillars in brush on the west side of the National Guard Armory, just a block-and-a-half from Scottsbluff High School and a half-block from a day care center.

Game and Parks Wildlife Manager Todd Nordeen says the agency's protocol in situations where mountain lions wander into populated areas is that public safety is the main priority; and while it's unfortunate tranquilizing the animal is not an option.

Scottsbluff Police advised guard personnel, the day care employees, and officials with the High School and nearby Scottsbluff Middle School to keep everyone inside while authorities moved in to take care of the animal.

The animal was first spotted just north of Webber's Furniture by employees with the store, which is south of the Armory. Webber's employee Johnny Hernandez says he and another employee got a good look at the cougar.

The mountain lion was a young male, estimated to be about a year and a half old and weighing eighty five to ninety pounds. Nordeen says a necropsy will be conducted on the animal, but he notes more young males are being moved out of their territory and are straying into populated areas.

Scottsbluff is a city in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 14,732 at the 2000 census. Scottsbluff is the largest city in Scotts Bluff County and the 12th largest city in Nebraska.