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4 mountain lions killed in Prescott due to safety threat

Arizona wildlife officials say they’ve eliminated a group of mountain lions in Prescott that had posed a public-safety threat in recent weeks.

In a statement Saturday, the Arizona Game and Fish Department said it downed the last of four mountain lions that killed several pets and behaved aggressively towards people in a neighborhood in the northern part of the city.

Residents had been encouraged to take precautions.

“If you encounter a lion, it’s important to make yourself big, make yourself known and maintain eye contact with that lion. Don’t run or that could trigger that cat’s chase instinct," said John Trierweiler with Game and Fish.

Tips for avoiding conflict with mountain lions and other wildlife can be found at  azgfd.gov/urbanwildlife.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated to correct the number of mountain lions killed.

Lindsey Collom Riley is assistant news director at KJZZ. She joined the team as a senior editor June 2022 after more than two decades of reporting and editing for print/digital news in metro Phoenix.