Tri-Cities construction workers startled by a cougar in a new Kennewick subdivision

A worker at a subdivision under construction just south of Kennewick reported seeing a cougar about 12:15 p.m. Monday.

The cougar startled employees at the new subdivision at Clodfelter and Tripple Vista roads when it walked past a nearby scale house, according to the report received by the Benton County Sheriff’s Office.

The animal continued on its way, according to the report, and the sheriff’s office notified Washington state Fish and Wildlife agents. It was not immediately known if they were able to verify the sighting.

Last week there were two verified cougar sightings in the Tri-Cities.

About 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 29, a cougar was spotted in a tree near the 200 block of East 41st Place in Kennewick.

It was seen three more times early in the morning before orchard workers discovered it on Game Farm Road before 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.

After law enforcement arrived, the mountain lion, which appeared to be injured, began to track Benton County Sheriff’s Office deputies.

That behavior, plus concerns for orchard workers in the area, led to a sheriff’s office decision to shoot and kill the animal.

Early Thursday morning another cougar was spotted near Road 90 and Sandifur Parkway in Pasco.

Officers searched the area between Road 90 and Road 92 using a drone, but were not able to find it.

However, the sighting was verified with a video, and Fish and Wildlife again was notified.

One official told the Herald that any cougar south of Kennewick was unlikely to be the same cougar seen in Pasco last week because it would have had to cross the Columbia River and an interstate.

Cougar attacks on humans are extremely rare, the state’s cougar information website shows. In 94 years, as of 2018, there had been two encounters in which a person died.

People should still be cautious if they see one, and not approach it and not run away.

This story was originally published April 4, 2022 at 4:55 PM.