This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Wildlife officials are looking for information about a cougar left beheaded near a trail in Davis County and found last month.
People who found the cougar near Bonneville Shoreline Trail, above North Salt Lake, contacted the Division of Wildlife Resources on May 1, according to a news release from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, but the animal appeared to have died a few days prior.
Investigators found a bullet lodged inside one of the animal's limbs, the release said, and its head had been removed from the carcass with a sharp instrument. The cougar's head was not at the scene, said Officer Krystal Tucker, who is investigating the incident.
Officers contacted nearly all hunters with permits for the area in an attempt to rule out the possibility that the cougar died after being shot and wounded by a lawful hunter, the release said.
"At this time, the cougar is not believed to be a wounding loss and DWR is seeking information about the person or people involved," the release said.
There are no suspects at this time, according to the release.
The area where the cougar was found is a popular hiking and biking trail, the release said, which increases the likelihood that someone "saw or heard something suspicious in the area around the end of April or the beginning of May."
Anyone with information about the illegal killing — or any other wildlife crimes — is asked to call the UTiP hotline at 1-800-662-3337 or send an email to turninapoacher@utah.gov.
A reward may be available to anyone who provides information leading to the successful prosecution of the person, or people, responsible for this crime, the release said. Requests for confidentiality will be honored.
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