Mountain Lion Shot and Killed Near Bismarck Municipal Ballpark

A mountain lion was shot and killed by Bismarck police early Tuesday morning near Bismarck Municipal Ballpark (January 8th).

Police were contacted around 5 a.m. by someone reporting they had seen the mountain lion jump a fence in a yard close to Bismarck Municipal Ballpark.

North Dakota Game and Fish Department officials spotted tracks in the areas surrounding the ballpark. The tracks led from Zonta Park, through Bismarck Municipal Ballpark, and into Kiwanis Park.

Police said in a news release that the mountain lion was shot "due to the danger to the public and the proximity to homes."

According to Wildlife Division Chief for the State of Game and Fish Department, Jeb Williams, the mountain lion was a 1- to 2-year old male seeking new territory away from other dominant adult male mountain lions.

Williams said to protect the public, the mountain lion needed to be shot rather than tranquilized:

In a city situation, when an animal is very amped up the way it is, we’re essentially not willing to take the risk of darting that lion and then of course that lion taking off somewhere. And it takes a period of time for that sedation to kick in.

Williams also noted that the Game and Fish Department's stance on is to not relocate predators.

Officials have not yet determined whether the mountain lion that was shot was the same one spotted last month in north Bismarck near Horizon Middle School.