I am reminded that St. Louis was the farthest West settlement at the beginning of 19th century America,,,,the "jumping off" point for Lewis & clark and all the Mountain Men both pre and post their epic exploration..............We now have our 24th verified Puma sighting(picture below) in Missouri since 1994...........If somehow a female Puma would make her way from South Dakota into the "Show-Me-State", she would have her pick of eligible Puma bachelors..........From there a breeding population could begin to make a comeback and St. Louis at the beginning of the 21st century could be the "jumping off" point for Pumas to push East, in the spiriit of exporation,,,,,,,,,,only this time to the Atlantic Ocean, seeking to restore a "Wild America 200 years after we all but blinked out the East of its wild heritage

Another mountain lion sighting confirmed in Missouri

By The Associated Press

 Jamesport, Mo. —

Another mountain lion sighting has been confirmed in Missouri, this time in the north-central section of the state.

Grundy County, Missouri Puma on trailcam as of 4/2/12

Locations of Pumas in Missouri since 1994

The state Conservation Department said Tuesday that a trail camera photographed a mountain lion in Grundy County on April 2. The department confirmed the sighting this week.

Conservation officials say it's Missouri's 29th confirmed mountain lion sighting since 1994. Earlier this year, two mountain lions were confirmed in Reynolds County in southeast Missouri.

The department says it appears that mountain lions in Missouri are largely young males moving in from western states, and that there's no evidence the animals are breeding in Missouri.Mountain lions are protected by law, but Missouri allows people to protect themselves and their property if they feel threatened.