Campus Alert Archive
USU

A 115-Pound Cougar in the Cemetery, and a 6:45 a.m. Aggie Alert

UTotheradvisorymedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

Early on February 13, 2024, Logan City and Utah State University police spotted a mountain lion in the Logan City Cemetery adjacent to USU's campus at about 6:45 a.m. MST, prompting an Aggie Alert as the cat moved toward the university and nearby housing. The roughly two-year-old, 115-pound cougar was tranquilized and captured without incident at Lundstrom Park in North Logan by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
Utah State University
Public R1 · UT
~28,000 studentsAggie Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstructionReconstructed from FOX 13 and KUTV coverage of the Aggie Alert; no public Aggie Alert archive text available in this environment238 chars
Aggie Alert: A mountain lion has been spotted near campus in the area of the Logan City Cemetery. Avoid the area. If you see the mountain lion, do not approach it. Go indoors, keep pets and children close, and call 911. Updates to follow.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from news coverage describing the Aggie Alert's content and timing; the alert's exact wording was not published verbatim, hence isVerbatimConfirmed is false.
The 6:45 a.m. MST timing is anchored to police first spotting the cougar in the Logan City Cemetery, immediately before the notice went out per FOX 13.
Sent as an advisory, not a Clery timely warning, because a wildlife sighting is not a Clery crime category.
ALL CLEARSMS
Approximate reconstructionReconstructed all-clear based on KUTV reporting that the cougar was tranquilized at Lundstrom Park210 chars
Aggie Alert Update: The mountain lion reported near campus has been safely tranquilized and removed by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. There is no further threat to campus. Thank you for your patience.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed all-clear reflecting the confirmed outcome reported by KUTV: the Division of Wildlife Resources tranquilized and removed the cougar at Lundstrom Park in North Logan.
This message qualifies as a genuine all-clear because it explicitly states there is no further threat, unlike the initial avoidance instruction.
The capture occurring off-campus at Lundstrom Park, rather than on the USU quad, illustrates how campus wildlife alerts often resolve in adjacent neighborhoods.
Context

Background

Utah State University's Logan campus sits at the foot of the Bear River Mountains, where cougars range into Cache Valley in winter. Early on February 13, 2024, officers from the Logan City and USU police departments spotted a mountain lion in the Logan City Cemetery adjacent to campus at around 6:45 a.m. MST and immediately pushed an Aggie Alert. The roughly two-year-old, 115-pound cougar moved through neighborhoods near 1640 East and 1400 North before being tranquilized and captured at Lundstrom Park in North Logan by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. USU's wildlife specialists used the episode to share mountain-lion safety advice: do not run, make yourself look large, and keep children and pets close. No one was hurt. The case is a clean example of a two-message campus advisory sequence — an initial avoidance alert and a true all-clear — triggered by a large predator rather than a crime.
Analysis

Key Findings

USU's Aggie Alert was triggered at roughly 6:45 a.m. MST on February 13, 2024 when police spotted the cougar in the Logan City Cemetery next to campus
The roughly 115-pound, two-year-old mountain lion was tranquilized and removed by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources without injury, allowing a genuine all-clear
The alert was issued as a discretionary advisory rather than a Clery timely warning, consistent with wildlife sightings falling outside Clery crime categories
Outcome
No injuries. The mountain lion was tranquilized and removed by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources later that morning, and USU lifted its advisory.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    WATCH: Mountain lion captured following alert near Utah State campus - FOX 13 Now
    fox13now.com
  2. News
    Officials catch mountain lion seen in neighborhood near Utah State University - KUTV
    kutv.com
  3. Official
    USU Expert Shares Mountain Lion Advice After Cougar Spotted Near Campus - Utah State Today
    usu.edu
Tags
wildlifemountain-lioncougaradvisoryutahall-clearutah-state
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion