Cougar Killed On I-394 After Roaming Minneapolis

GOLDEN VALLEY, MN — The cougar that was seen roaming around southwest Minneapolis on Tuesday was killed after it was hit by a vehicle on Interstate 394 Wednesday in Golden Valley, according to multiple reports.

State officials confirmed with the Star Tribune that it's the same cougar.

The Minnesota State Patrol responded to the crash on westbound I-394 near Theodore Wirth Parkway at about 2:15 a.m. The driver struck the cougar, swerved, and then hit the center concrete median, the State Patrol said.

The 53-year-old male driver was not hurt, but the cougar died at the scene. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has taken possession of the animal's body.

On Tuesday, Minneapolis Animal Care and Control and the DNR began warning residents about a cougar living in and around the 1700 block of Logan Avenue South in the city.

"That cat has been sighted near Kenwood Park and there is concern that it may be traveling through the Cedar Lake trail system near the Lake of the Isles," city officials had said.

"We advise people who are either enjoying this area around Lowry Hill neighborhood or live in the surrounding neighborhoods to be cautious with the confirmed presence of a cougar."

DNR officials said it is extremely rare to find cougars in Minnesota, even more so in urban areas like Minneapolis.

The MACC and DNR were working to track the cougar when it was killed Wednesday morning.