The cougar who has been spotted in Magnolia for the past week has been captured and released back into the wild somewhere in Snohomish County. Discovery Park has reopened to the public. 

The cougar was captured this morning around 2 a.m. by wildlife officials and tracking dogs (see photos).  The cougar is said to be healthy and weighs 138 pounds.  Wildlife officials tell us that is a good size cat for the city and that he is “timid and shy and well-behaved as cougars go.”

We’ve been covering the story all day since we first reported the capture this morning. Here’s the story on the cougar’s capture, an interview with the wildlife official who caught the cougar this morning, an interview with nearby residents and information about how they will now track the cougar via text message once he is released.  Our updated cougar sighting map is here. 

It was a thrill for us to get to see this amazing animal up close, and here is our favorite picture of the cougar.

The cougar was never given a name but is now known as his tag number, which is 1010.  We wish 1010 safe travels.