Officials cordoned off a portion of the coast near Cannon Beach to allow a cougar perched on Haystack Rock a safe escape route on Sunday.
At least one photographer at the coast captured the animal’s image around 7 a.m. The Cannon Beach Rural Fire Protection District then sent people on water scooters to locate the animal. They confirmed they saw the animal around 9:30 a.m., but a spokesperson for the fire district wrote on Facebook around noon that what they saw was likely a shadow.
Around 1 p.m., a spokesperson for the Cannon Beach Police Department wrote on Facebook that officers were still at the beach to make sure the cougar got away safely and that no people were injured. “We ask for your help and patience as we work through this unique situation,” the person wrote.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife says Oregon is home to 6,000 cougars, also known as mountain lions, but sightings are not common. Cougars are lone hunters who prey mostly on deer.
Nehalem Bay State Park closed a campground trail Thursday after cougar sightings there.
