Drone pilot who buzzed emaciated cougar warned, not charged

JACKSON (WNE) — Wyoming officials will not charge a man with harassing wildlife after he flew a drone at a moribund mountain lion earlier this month.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department instead decided to issue the drone pilot a warning after an investigation into his conduct. The department did not make the investigation file or the name of the operator available to the News&Guide by press time Tuesday.

In Wyoming, harassing wildlife by aircraft is a high misdemeanor punishable with a fine of up to $10,000 and one year in jail.

On June 6, a crowd amassed at the bottom of Saddle Butte to observe a cougar bedded down under a tree. When a drone began circling the lion, there were plenty of witnesses. The move rankled the crowd.

The drone operator was located across the street, near the Mountain Modern Motel. A wildlife biologist with Game and Fish ordered the man to land the craft and told him it is illegal to harass wildlife with a drone, according to a video of the interaction shared with the News&Guide.

A game warden followed up with the drone operator and reviewed the drone footage, a spokesperson for Game and Fish said. The footage suggested that the drone did not significantly alter the cat’s behavior, influencing the department’s decision to warn, rather than charge, the pilot.

Game wardens also based their decision on the operator’s cooperation with the investigation and reports from the scene. Game and Fish can reopen the case in the future if additional evidence emerges.

Game and Fish euthanized the emaciated cougar two days after the incident due to its poor body condition and proximity to town. 

This story was published on June 25, 2025.