UPDATE (10:53): According to Casey Anderson with North Dakota Game and Fish, the lion was a male between one and three years old, and weighed about 100 pounds. Anderson says the department will do a full health work-up on the animal. He says it’s an unfortunate situation when they have to kill one of the animals, but it is done because of public safety.

Anderson says they can’t determine if it’s the same mountain lion that was reported in north Bismarck in December.

A mountain lion has been shot and killed in Bismarck early this morning.

The Bismarck police department says they responded to a report of a mountain lion in the backyard of a residence around 5am this morning.

The department was able to follow the lion’s footprints through Zonta park, the municipal ball park and into Kiwanis park.

Police say they eventually found the lion and shot it.

The ND Game and Fish department have taken the mountain lion for testing.