A cougar was spotted on an empty lot in Deschutes River Woods on Wednesday, the first reported sighting of a cougar in Bend in nearly two years.

Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched after a local resident reported the cougar at around 7:40 p.m. Deputies located the cougar on a nearby vacant lot and  watched the animal until it left the residential area.

The cougar was seen heading into Deschutes National Forest land northwest of Deschutes River Woods. The incident was reported to the Oregon State Police and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The sighting was the first since July 2020, when a cougar was spotted outside Grocery Outlet in Bend . A resident  saw that cougar at around 5 a.m. and followed the animal until it disappeared near the Bend Parkway. 

Seven cougar sightings were reported across the region in 2019. On Feb. 9, 2019, state wildlife officials and Bend police tracked a 135-pound cougar into the Deschutes River Woods area and killed it.

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office reminded the public in a press release that if a cougar is encountered one should not run but rather make noises, pick up their children, raise their arms and prepare to fight back.

Anyone involved in a face-to-face encounter with a cougar or any dangerous animal should call the nearest ODFW office, Oregon State Police or land manager if on public land.