Public advised to avoid Laredo park after mountain lion, cubs spotted

In this file photo, Shasta, a young male cougar cub selected as the UH mascot, is shown. In this file photo, Shasta, a young male cougar cub selected as the UH mascot, is shown. Photo: Houston Zoo Photo: Houston Zoo Image 1 of / 114 Caption Close Public advised to avoid Laredo park after mountain lion, cubs spotted 1 / 114 Back to Gallery

A mountain lion and her cubs have been spotted by residents near Slaughter Park in central Laredo, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

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Kegan Gould, a game warden in Webb County, said their office first received a call about the wild cats this morning. They do not have a confirmed number of cubs; he said people have reported seeing between one and three of them.

There are quite a few mountain lions in the Webb County area, Gould said, mostly in rural areas near the Maverick and Dimmit county lines.

"This is their natural habitat, but seeing them in town is pretty uncommon, especially in that area," he said.

Last February a mountain lion was captured in the Santa Rita subdivision, which is further south in Laredo, but also along the river. In speaking with residents around these areas, Gould said mountain lions have been spotted there before quite a few times, and it's never been an issue for them.

The game warden said at this time their plan is only to keep an eye on the situation.

"They're an extremely elusive animal, so trying to dart them or capture them is going to be nearly impossible," he said, especially with cubs involved.

Mountain lions have a home range of between 200-300 square miles, making big loops, according to Gould.

"They don't tend to hang around one area for very long," he said.

He reiterated that these animals should not be a cause of concern for residents here. There are only four recorded mountain lion attacks in Texas, which were all in West Texas, and none of which were fatal, Gould said.

The likelihood of them attacking children is very unlikely, but he recommended that residents near the area keep small pets on a leash.

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The City of Laredo issued a statement Wednesday afternoon about the big cats, asking the public to avoid the park until further notice.

United Premier Soccer League's game set for Wednesday at Slaughter Park has been postponed due to the animal sighting and the rain, according to the city's spokesperson Rafael Benavides. The city will keep people updated on games scheduled for Thursday and Friday, he said.