Fish And Wildlife Officers To Investigate Cougar Sightings At Microsoft Campus

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife officers will be at Redmond's Microsoft campus Saturday after reports of cougar sightings.

Another cougar sighting was reported on the campus Friday, said Bill Hebner of Washington’s Department of Fish and Wildlife.

He said the report has been passed through many people and that the department has not been able to talk to the reporting party, but it is a sighting and not an encounter.

Microsoft called wildlife officials shortly before 11 a.m. Friday to report the sighting near building 32.

Redmond police said Microsoft security personnel reported a sighting of a cougar on Thursday afternoon, but then later said it was a coyote.

Police said they received a call about an "unconfirmed cougar sighting" from Microsoft security at 10:15 a.m.

A second call from Microsoft at 1:38 p.m. said the sighting was confirmed to be that of a coyote, not a cougar, Redmond police said.

Both sightings were in the area of Buildings 30 to 35.

With two reports of cougar sightings in two days, Hebner said it is plausible that a cougar could be in the woods near the campus.

Previous Stories: September 17, 2009: Coyote, Cougar Confusion Near Microsoft Campus