This video illustrates the basic method we used to catch Smilla.  In this video, Scott is giving it a try because we speculated that she could smell me when I drew near.  Scott might have been an unfamiliar scent not associated with capture attempts.  I don't think she heard Scott because his careful footsteps on the smooth grass would have been masked by the highway noise, the river noise, the birds, and the golfers.  She seemed to be asleep, but she would pop up when I would sneak within three feet of her.  I finally caught her by rushing the last ten feet and throwing the net on her even though she had gotten up and was starting to run.  Nothing went exactly as planned, but it worked. The map below shows the point of capture.

The map below shows Smilla's travels that we know of.

We caught Smilla this afternoon after following her around the Twin Rivers Golf Course for about four hours.  The sedative pills slowed her down a little, but she never went into a deep sleep.  I tried sneaking up on her with a net several times as she napped in the grass, but she always woke up just before I got there.  On the attempt that succeeded, I sneaked up to within ten feet, and then lunged the last distance.  She still woke up before I got there, but I managed to throw the net over before she got away.  She was not happy to be caught, but we were elated to finally have her safe.

Thanks to the dozens of volunteers who tracked Smilla, and all the people who reported sightings of her.

    Smilla flier.  Please print some out if you might be in her area.

Smilla sighted Duthie Hill in Issaquah.  The map below shows where she was at 4:30 on Friday.

April 27th sighting in Issaquah

Smilla was seen at 6:30 this morning in Issaquah at Maple Street and SR 900 by someone who read the Snoqualmie Valley Record story about her.  Last night at the cemetery in Renton, I was able to get within two feet of her.  If I can find her location this morning, I have a plan for the next attempt.  Again, it is important that people NOT try to catch her.  It's not that I don't appreciate the help, but people keep trying things that have already failed.  I am getting to know her habits and preferences, and I have a high probability of catching her if she will settle in the right place.  Below is a map of sightings of Smilla since March 10th.

Smilla spent most of the day at the Greenwood cemetery at 4th and Monroe in Renton. I got within two feet of her, but I didn't have a good angle for the snappy snare. We'll try again tomorrow.

Smilla was last seen Wednesday, April 25th, around 11 AM.  A car was seen parked by the road, but no person associated with that car.  My theory is that the driver of the car stopped to help Smilla, and this displaced her from her safe haven.  Hopefully, she will come back to the Lake McDonald area, or we will get a new report of a sighting in a new location.  If you see Smilla, please do not try to catch her.  If you are able, put up fliers in the area that tell people not to disturb her while we plan the next capture attempt.  Please call immediately with any sightings.  206-xxx-xxxx.