The Jackson County Attorney’s Office has charged a southwest Minnesota resident with allegedly shooting a cougar last fall.

Daniel Hamman, 26, was cited with shooting a protected animal on Nov. 27.

Hamman allegedly shot the cougar after being contacted by a neighbor, who saw the cat run from a rural grove of trees into a culvert. The cougar was shot as it flushed from the culvert.

Hamman could face a fine up to $1,000 and up to 90 days in jail.

Cougars are protected animals in Minnesota. State statute makes it illegal to kill a cougar in most circumstances, although residents can do so in life-threatening situations.

The cougar shot in Jackson County was a 125-pound male, estimated between one and three years old.

The Department of Natural Resources has confirmed 14 cougar sightings across the state since 2007.