A frisky mountain lion has caused the closure of one of Libby’s favorite walking trails.

Local Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks closed the trail at the end of Kootenai River Road Sunday, April 26, following multiple reports of a mountain lion near the path.

FWP Wildlife Management Specialist Garrett Tovey local houndsmen began chasing the lion not long after daybreak Sunday.

“We were getting steady reports of a lion near the trail and this preventative measure was the best way to handle the situation,” Tovey said.

The closure was also to keep other dogs’ scent from interfering with the hounds effort to find and run the lion away from the trail, Tovey said.

Signs blocking use of the trail indicated bear danger, but Tovey explained the agency didn’t have any lion danger signs.

“A closure is a closure, no matter the reason,” he added.

Tovey said houndsmen’s checks of the area Monday and Tuesday indicated the lion may have left the area.

“They weren’t picking up any scent those two days, so we’re considering opening the trail back up on Sunday, but we’ll see what is going on the next few days,” he added.

Tovey said the lion could be a younger animal that is trying to establish its home territory. Its behavior wasn’t considered aggressive, he said.

“It’s not uncommon for this to occur this time of year and there is a good number of prey animals that live in that general area,” Tovey said.

Mountain lion sightings aren’t rare in the area as they populate most of Western Montana.

A FWP study from a few years ago indicated the predation of bighorn sheep in the area was due to mountain lions.

Tovey said individuals can call him at 406-293-1320 for more information.