Is Haystack Rock, Cannon beach closed? Cougar sighting leaves officials alarmed

On Sunday, July 16, a cougar decided to pay a visit to Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach, Oregon. The mountain lion was spotted by multiple witnesses, following which, the popular tourist destination was closed off until further notice. Areas of the beach were enclosed to allow the mountain lion an easy escape route.

The Cannon Beach Police Department confirmed the mountain lion sighting and closure of the beach until further notice on a Facebook post on Sunday. The next day, they revealed that the cougar was still present in the area and efforts were being made to ensure public safety and the safety of the animal.

---

Multiple photographs of cougar surface, Cannon Beach closed

In a July 16 Facebook post, the Cannon Beach Police Department stated that the beach at Haystack Rock was closed owing to a cougar sighting, adding that they will update the public when it reopens. They advised people to avoid the area in the meantime.

The next day, the department put out another Facebook post, confirming that the adult mountain lion was still in the area. Along with the Cannon Beach Police Department, the Oregon State Police Game Troopers, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon State Parks, Haystack Rock Awareness Program, and Cannon Beach Fire are working together to ensure the safety of the public as well as the animal.

Regarding the enclosure of the beach, the department stated that it was to provide a safe path for the animal to exit.

"The beach between Haystack Rock and the dunes is closed to allow the cougar an area to escape to, from off the rock. We ask for your help and patience as we work through this unique situation."

Police and State personnel told KGW News that they would like to see the cougar leave on its own. As of now, the mountain lion is still on the rock, next to the beach.

According to KGW News, it was at 6:30 am on Sunday morning that the cougar's first sighting was reported by photographer Andy Woo, who was attempting to take pictures of the puffins. Andy Woo uploaded the pictures on his Instagram stories. In one of the pictures of Haystack Rock, he circled a small portion of the rock and asked people:

"Do you see what's on the rock?"

Andy Woo spots the mountain lion (Image via Instagram/@andywoo2)

In the next story, he provided a zoomed-in image of the big cat and wrote that it was a cougar, stating that it was "not the human kind." He then proceeded to post multiple pictures of the mountain lion.

Photo of the mountain lion captured by Andy Woo (Image via Instagram/@andywoo2)

At around 6:40 am, Khula Makhalira, an Indiana tourist captured photos of the mountain lion. According to KOIN 6 News, the photographer had to stop clicking pictures to warn a family, whose child was venturing very close to the rock where the animal resided. He proceeded to contact local authorities. Makhalira told the outlet:

"They had to start pushing people away because I told them where I saw it, where it was and they kind of realized that it's too close to people."

In a reply to Cannon Beach Police's Facebook post, a user posted a drone footage of the mountain lion.

A snapshot from the drone footage (Image via Facebook/JD Staley)

According to Facebook user, JD Staley, "his buddy" flew his drone close to Haystack Rock and zoomed in. The footage was captured when it was close to sunset. Staley reported that the mountain lion looked agitated.