Cougar killed on I-394 will become part of Minneapolis Parks exhibit

Cam Winton and others who live in the Minneapolis neighborhood where a cougar was seen earlier this month were saddened when the big cat was struck and killed by a motorist as it crossed a freeway west of downtown.

"Plenty of people were heartbroken," said Winton, who lives near where the cougar was seen on home security video sauntering across a driveway in the Lowry Hill neighborhood in the early morning hours of Dec. 4. "A lot of people wanted to see a happier ending to the story."

Now the large cat will live on, in a sense.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources approved a request from the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board to receive the remains of the 2-year-old male cougar, said Dan Stark, a large-carnivore specialist with the DNR.

In the coming months, the DNR will transfer the mountain lion to the Park Board, which plans to create an educational display featuring the cougar that will be on view at city recreation centers and other facilities, said spokeswoman Robin Smothers.

"I think this is a good opportunity to tell the story about cougars in Minnesota and ones that wander through the state, and to provide a connection to the community where it attracted attention," Stark said.

Cougar sightings in Minnesota are extremely rare, Stark said. The cougar seen in Minneapolis this month was fatally struck while crossing I-394 near Theodore Wirth Parkway on Dec. 6. It was believed to be only the third cougar identified in Hennepin County since 2004. A tag on the cat's ear revealed that he had traveled 650 miles from the Oglala National Grasslands in northwest Nebraska to Minneapolis.

The cat's appearance attracted a large following on social media and generated several news stories.

"We were rooting for the cougar," Winton said. The death "was a terrible thing."

Winton had an idea. He called the DNR to see if it would be possible for the agency to give the cat to the Park Board. Then he called the Park Board to gauge its interest. The board said yes, and took things from there.

Winton is providing some help. He told neighbors about the idea for a display and circulated flyers asking donors to contribute $11,700 to cover the costs of taxidermy, shipping and signage for the display.

"The Park Board has done a wonderful job of springing into action and leading this initiative for the benefit of all city residents," Winton said in an interview.

Park Board officials said they are not sure what to make of the whole situation, but they are going with it.

"Many of us were captivated by the prospect of such a majestic animal living among us and were saddened to hear how it met its end," said Park Board Superintendent Al Bangoura. "Now, there is an opportunity to give the story a happier ending. I'm appreciative of the DNR and community members coming together to help educate future generations on the wonderful variety of wildlife that can be found in our city."

Checks written to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board with the words "mountain lion" in the memo line can be mailed to Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, Attn: Customer Service-Mountain Lion, 2117 W. River Road N., Minneapolis, MN, 55411.

Contributions can also be made by credit and debit cards over the phone at 612-230-6400. Gifts are tax deductible.