VIDEO: Mountain lion sighting in Salem area

A big cat was spotted roaming the greater Salem area on the evening of Oct. 18.

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A big cat was spotted roaming the greater Salem area on Wednesday evening.

Dallas resident Rick Kealiherl shared security footage with KOIN 6 News showing a mountain lion wandering along Rickreall Creek near the intersection of Fir Villa and Orrs Corner Road just before 7 p.m. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesperson Beth Quillian told KOIN 6 News that cougars are known to live in the greater Dallas and Salem areas.

“There are resident cougars around Salem and Dallas, and they will occasionally wander into town,” Quillian told KOIN 6 News. “ODFW gets fairly regular reports, but cougars are not spending the majority of their time within city limits. We do get more reports on the edge of town and in spots like Minto Brown Park.”

The ODFW shares the following tips mountain lions in residential areas:

• Learn your neighborhood. Be aware of any wildlife corridors or places where deer or elk concentrate. 
• Walk pets during the day and keep them on a leash. 
• Keep pets indoors at dawn and dusk when cougars are most active. Shelter them for the night and always feed pets indoors. 
• Use animal-proof garbage cans and leave garbage outside unsecured. 
• Remove heavy brush from near the house and play areas, install motion-activated light outdoors along walkways and driveways. 
• Do not feed any wildlife. By attracting other wildlife, you may attract a cougar. Keep bird feeder areas clean. 
• If you have a garden or keep livestock, deer-proof your garden and yard with nets, lights, fencing. Fence and shelter livestock. Move them to sheds or barns at night.