BIG CAT RESCUE/OUT OF PLACE ANIMALS: Mountain lion dies after capture at Sandy mall

Animal control » It was tranquilized after wandering into Jordan Commons.

By Pamela Manson

| The Salt Lake Tribune

First Published Jun 28 2014 11:36 am • Last Updated Jun 28 2014 09:20 pm

A mountain lion that was caught and tranquilized on Friday after it wandered into a parking lot at Jordan Commons Mall in Sandy died Saturday, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources officials said.

The animal died while under the effect of the tranquilizer, according to Scott Root, a DWR outreach manager. He said division biologists will perform an analysis to determine if there were any health factors that may have contributed to the death of the big cat.

"Wildlife deaths can occasionally occur during tranquilization," Root said. "The fact that this cougar was in a highly populated area suggests that something may not have been normal with this animal." 

pmanson@sltrib.com