A cougar has been living just outside Bellingham, and a neighborhood is on edge
A cougar has been hanging around a suburban neighborhood east of Bellingham for several months, prompting concerns among residents because three schools are close by.
Nathan Stuart, who lives near Cable and Geneva streets, told The Bellingham Herald that he and several of his neighbors have seen the big cat several times since early December. They are hoping that state Department of Fish and Wildlife officials can trap and remove it because it seems to have become comfortable around people.
“Really, what’s the concerning thing is that the cougar has taken up residence. With kids playing outside and the preschool across the street, it just feels as though something inevitable is going to happen,” Stuart said in a phone call.
Stuart said the cougar has been relaxing during the day in brush just outside a fenced yard, and it has stashed a fresh kill more than once. Many of his neighbors have caught the cougar on their home security cameras during daylight hours.
“To me, that doesn’t say it’s just passing through. It’s comfortable in this area. It’s been in a consistent spot where it’s caching deer between two homes in what could easily be described as a suburban cul-de-sac. It’s been here for two months. It’s clearly taken up residence,” he said.
Several Geneva residents attended the Feb. 10 Whatcom County Council meeting and asked county officials to persuade Fish and Wildlife or another agency to act.
Becky Elder, community outreach liaison with Fish and Wildlife Police, urged those who see a cougar to call Fish and wildlife Police at 877-933-9847 or report it online.
“The sooner sightings are reported to WDFW Police, the quicker we can engage to determine if there is a public safety concern,” Elder told The Herald in an email. “While a cougar may occasionally take a wrong turn and end up in an unfortunate location, it’s more typical that WDFW becomes involved when that animal has begun to view livestock or pets as food. In these instances, the cougar has to be lethally removed to help protect public safety. Due to the uncertain nature of the outcomes, the department does not typically relocate cougars as moving an animal may not prevent future interactions with people and domestic animals.”
Officials at Geneva Elementary, Whatcom Hills Waldorf and the Firs and Fiddleheads preschool have made their staff aware of the situation.
Neighbors are on edge, including Ally Moffat, who told The Herald she’s keeping her 4-year-old inside more of the time.
“(The cougar) is doing things that are not typical cougar behavior. It isn’t showing typical behavior, which is worrisome. We’re just all on edge. It hasn’t come close to or attacked human, but we don’t want that to happen,” Moffatt told The Herald in a phone call.
This story was originally published February 14, 2026 at 5:20 AM.
