Wildlife managers say they’ve killed three juvenile cougars in the area around Sisters. Michelle Dennehy is a spokeswoman with Oregon’s Department of Fish and Wildlife.

She says over the past several weeks residents have reported seeing cougars on and around properties near McKinney Butte. Dennehey says the situation escalated late last week when two dogs were critically wounded in what’s now believed to be a cougar attack.

She explained, “When we have a cougar that’s repeatedly seen in a residential area during the day, or when we have a cougar that’s attacked pets, we consider that cougar a human safety risk.”

Dennehy says trackers with USDA’s Wildlife Services captured and killed the animals on Sunday. Biologists estimate the cats were between 18 and 20 months of age. Dennehey says biologists are tracking a fourth cat, thought to be the mother.

This story originally appeared on Oregon Public Broadcasting.