A cougar was reportedly sighted by a parent last weekend on the walking trails behind Cascade View Elementary School in Snoqualmie, according to the school.

The Washington Fish and Wildlife Department was contacted, and the school is reviewing its procedures in case a cougar is seen during school hours.

Cougars live across Washington wherever suitable conditions are found, according to the Fish and Wildlife Department’s Web site.

In 2002, the state’s cougar population was estimated to be between 2,400 and 3,500, and the state receives hundreds of reported cougar sightings every year.

While the cougar population is likely declining, encounters with people are becoming more common due to shrinking cougar habit and an increasing human population, according to the Fish and Wildlife Department.