A cougar was spotted right outside Tacoma in Fircrest Tuesday morning.
Fircrest resident Rachel Barth said she was taking her two dogs outside Tuesday when one ran into a patch of nearby trees and brush chasing after something. Seconds later, a cougar came running out and sprinted across her backyard.
"I saw a profile so big -- head, long slender body, sandy color, and then a big tail," Barth said.
Even though Barth's home is surrounded by trees and a creek, she's not living out in the woods. Fircrest is a suburban area and isn't where you'd normally expect to see a cougar. Barth said it has happened near her home in the past, however.
"Our friend has a horse that boards up the street and it was attacked a couple years ago by a cougar," she said.
The cougar seen Tuesday ran off down the street in front of her home. She said she hopes it keeps on going.
"I'm scared. As I was driving to work, I saw lots of people walking, my kids were playing. It's scary," she said.
Barth said she reported the incident to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. The agency said it may come out and take a report, but said her dog probably did the job of scaring the cougar out of the neighborhood for good.
KIRO
