Encounters between people and mountain lions are on the rise across the West — and one Montana homeowner just experienced the danger firsthand.

What's happening?

A Montana homeowner made a devastating discovery after a cougar killed her pet goat inside its fenced enclosure.

Corissa Zimmer of Livingston found the goat dead on Oct. 10 near Merrill Lane and Highway 89, its slash wounds pointing to a mountain-lion attack. Later that day, she photographed the cougar slinking behind a nearby shipping container.

"It was 15 minutes after a friend picked up my other goat," she told the Livingston Enterprise, believing the predator was returning for more. "It is being very bold."

Zimmer, an environmental scientist, contacted wildlife officials, who advised that leaving the carcass could help them trap the animal. "I didn't want to look at it all day," she said, according to the Livingston Enterprise. "The general advice was to dispatch it if needed, basically shoot it."

She worried about doing so in the densely populated area, which includes homes, businesses, and a nearby campground. "I'm worried about other pets. Our neighbors have kids," she told the Livingston Enterprise.

Why is this concerning?

Cougars are naturally elusive, but encounters like this one are becoming more common across the West as human development expands into once-wild areas. Rapid housing growth, deforestation, and dwindling prey have pushed predators to hunt closer to towns and backyards.

Experts say rising temperatures and prolonged droughts — both linked to the Earth's warming — are straining ecosystems and reducing food sources for large carnivores. As a result, animals are venturing farther in search of deer and other prey, sometimes crossing paths with people and livestock.

Protecting wildlife habitat isn't only about conserving nature; it's also about keeping communities safe. Healthy ecosystems with stable prey populations lessen the risk of desperate, hungry predators entering residential zones.

What's being done about it?

Wildlife officials in Montana regularly monitor mountain lion activity. Conservation groups are also restoring habitat corridors that let animals move safely between feeding grounds without cutting through neighborhoods.

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Homeowners can reduce the chance of attracting predators by securing livestock enclosures, installing motion-sensing lights, and keeping pet food indoors. 

Supporting regional land-preservation projects — or even smaller efforts like native landscaping — helps maintain natural prey systems and prevents future conflicts.

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