Mountain lion sighting confirmed in northwest Missouri
The Missouri Department of Conservation has confirmed a mountain lion sighting in northwest Missouri.A landowner in southern Platte County near the Missouri River contacted the MDC with a photograph he took on Nov. 26 of a mountain lion in a tree on his property, according to the department.
"The photo is clearly of a mountain lion," said Jeff Beringer, resource scientist with the Mountain Lion Response Team. "We visited with the landowner, who wishes to remain anonymous, to confirm the location and to gather additional information."
The department receives dozens of reports each year from Missourians claiming to have seen a mountain lion. Of the more than 1,500 reports received since 1994, only 11 -- including the Platte County sighting -- have yielded enough evidence to confirm the presence of a mountain lion.
Mountain lions are nocturnal, secretive and generally avoid contact with humans.
Beringer said that there have been no documented cases in Missouri of attacks on livestock, people or pets by mountain lions.
Beringer added that he identified claw marks on the tree where the mountain lion was photographed and collected hair samples from where the big cat was perched to submit for DNA testing.
"We will use the DNA results to help us identify where the cat came from," explained Beringer. "We will compare the results with our database of captive mountain lions in Missouri and also look at mountain-lion DNA information from western states."
The Mountain Lion Response Team conducts field investigations in situations where there is potential physical evidence such as photographs, wildlife or livestock kills, scat, hair or tracks. The Team has investigated hundreds of mountain lion reports since it was created in 1996.
Beringer said most mountain lions confirmed in Missouri in modern times, such as two killed on highways, are thought to be young males traveling from western states looking for new territory to the east.
"While mountain lions occasionally wander into Missouri from other states, we have no proof of a self-sustaining, reproducing population," Beringer said.
The department has never stocked or released mountain lions in Missouri and has no plans to do so, he said.
Mountain lions are a protected species in the state under the Wildlife Code of Missouri. The Code does allow the killing of any mountain lion attacking or killing livestock or domestic animals, or threatening human safety
"The photo is clearly of a mountain lion," said Jeff Beringer, resource scientist with the Mountain Lion Response Team. "We visited with the landowner, who wishes to remain anonymous, to confirm the location and to gather additional information."
The department receives dozens of reports each year from Missourians claiming to have seen a mountain lion. Of the more than 1,500 reports received since 1994, only 11 -- including the Platte County sighting -- have yielded enough evidence to confirm the presence of a mountain lion.
Mountain lions are nocturnal, secretive and generally avoid contact with humans.
Beringer said that there have been no documented cases in Missouri of attacks on livestock, people or pets by mountain lions.
Beringer added that he identified claw marks on the tree where the mountain lion was photographed and collected hair samples from where the big cat was perched to submit for DNA testing.
"We will use the DNA results to help us identify where the cat came from," explained Beringer. "We will compare the results with our database of captive mountain lions in Missouri and also look at mountain-lion DNA information from western states."
The Mountain Lion Response Team conducts field investigations in situations where there is potential physical evidence such as photographs, wildlife or livestock kills, scat, hair or tracks. The Team has investigated hundreds of mountain lion reports since it was created in 1996.
Beringer said most mountain lions confirmed in Missouri in modern times, such as two killed on highways, are thought to be young males traveling from western states looking for new territory to the east.
"While mountain lions occasionally wander into Missouri from other states, we have no proof of a self-sustaining, reproducing population," Beringer said.
The department has never stocked or released mountain lions in Missouri and has no plans to do so, he said.
Mountain lions are a protected species in the state under the Wildlife Code of Missouri. The Code does allow the killing of any mountain lion attacking or killing livestock or domestic animals, or threatening human safety
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