A Columbia River Gorge landowner shot and killed a cougar that’s believed to have killed two goats and entered a nearby home, prompting a trail closure and search, authorities say.

Authorities are confident the slain cougar is the same one that killed the goats, and a search for the animal has concluded. The Angel’s Rest Trailhead was reopening Friday afternoon.

Rick Swart, an Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesman, told The Oregonian/OregonLive that the landowner shot the cougar Thursday night after the wild cat became caught in a trap set up by authorities.

The landowner notified law enforcement, Swart said, and the cougar’s body was recovered.

Biologists estimate the animal is a 2-year-old female.

The landowner won’t face any repercussions for shooting the cougar, Swart said.

He said the landowner initially saw a cougar feeding on or attacking at least one of his goats in the Bridal Veil area Wednesday night. The landowner fired a shot at it and called law enforcement, Swart said.

Authorities responded, Swart said, and went out with spotlights to try to find the cougar. They saw a cougar and also took a shot at it, Swart said.

The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area initially reported the cougar was wounded, but Swart said Friday the slain cougar has no evidence of a prior gunshot wound.

Swart said authorities are highly confident the slain cougar is the one that had been sought. That’s because bite marks on the goat carcass left in the trap roughly match the cougar’s teeth.

The animal reportedly killed two goats and entered a nearby home, showing “little fear of humans,” according to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office.

Over 6,000 cougars live in Oregon, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife says. Sightings and encounters are rare, according to the agency, but sightings have increased.

Angel’s Rest offers a beautiful panorama of the gorge and has long been one of the gorge’s best hikes. The trail reopened in November after being closed because of the 2017 Eagle Creek fire.

-- Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015

Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.