Unusually Big Cougar Captured In Eastern Washington

CHEWELAH, WA - State wildlife biologists found possibly the largest cougar in state history this week. The nearly 200-pound cat was tranquilized near Chewalah north of Spokane by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife research scientist Brian Kertson, according to the Spokesman-Review.

Male cougars weigh about 140 pounds on average in Washington, according to DFW. The one caught this week weighed in at 197 pounds.

"A cougar that pushes 200 pounds, I don’t care where you are in the world that’s pretty extraordinary," Kertson told the Spokesman-Review.

See photos of Washington's 200-pound cougar

Kertson caught the cougar Monday morning. He and other researchers are studying how cougars and wolves interact. Kertson told the Spokesman-Review wolves were thought to be the dominant species - but the big cat he found might change that.

The cat recovered from the tranquilizer in about an hour. He was fitted with a tracking collar and measured for state records.

Cougars can be found across Washington from the Olympic Peninsula to the Palouse. The animals are rarely seen and do most of their hunting in the dark, according to DFW.

"He almost looked cartoonish he was so big. Like how a little kid would draw a cougar," Kertson told the Spokesman-Review.

Note: the photo above is not of the cougar captured this week.

Image via Shutterstock