Mountain Lion Is Killed After Disrupting Middle School Golf Tournament

Wildlife officials in Nebraska euthanized a mountain lion last week, days after the animal disrupted a golf tournament, the Nebraska Examiner reported.

Described as a “subadult” male, the 103-pound lion had been spotted on a trail camera at the Frederick Peak Golf Course in Valentine on Sept. 19. 

The spotting caused the cancellation of a middle school girls' golf tournament, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission said. While none of the participants reportedly saw the lion, it was walking across the eighth green. The tournament was canceled midway as a precautionary measure.

According to Sam Wilson, furbearer and carnivore program manager for NGPC, the mountain lion was then spotted again after the tournament. The commission worked with the Valentine Police Department to track the mountain lion. The animal was then shot and killed.

Wilson said that lions are not shot with tranquilizer guns and relocated because they do not do well in captivity. He added that while attacks on humans are rare, tranquilizers can also take several minutes to take effect, allowing the animal to escape.

A spokesperson of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission confirmed to USA TODAY that the mountain lion was euthanized per protocol to ensure public safety.

"The Nebraska Game and Parks and the Valentine Police Department jointly responded to a confirmed report of a mountain lion in the city," an official statement by the commission read. "With public safety our top priority, the agencies responded according to Nebraska’s Mountain Lion Response Plan."

According to radio station KVSH, at least two other sightings of a lion in Valentine were reported this month.