ST. GEORGE — Authorities are seeking information regarding a cougar that was found dead in a tree in an apparent poaching incident near Minersville.
The dead juvenile female cougar was reported to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources after it was found stashed in a tree in mid-May.
Conservation officials investigated the scene and determined the animal was killed, placed in the tree and left to waste.
“Evidence at the scene suggests that this incident most likely occurred in January or February 2017,” the Division of Wildlife Resources stated in a news release.
Cougars are protected by law in Utah and may only be hunted in an annual limited-entry hunting season.
Anyone with information about the illegal killing is asked to contact the division. A reward may be offered for information leading to the successful prosecution of the responsible party.
Tips can be submitted to the UTiP hot line at 800-662-3337 or emailed to [email protected]. Requests for confidentiality will be honored.
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Hopefully the poacher will be shot, and left to rot.