Get to know the winter safety gear you need in your pack. All rights reserved (About Us). 2019 Roger Mills Co. Gender unknown. They walk with their claws retracted (pulled in), so if the track has claw marks then it is not a mountain lion track. People, livestock, and pets are at much greater risk from automobiles, stray dogs, and lightning strikes than they are from mountain lions. The area where this sighting took place is in the southern portion of Colorado. Will Peeing Around Your Campsite Really Help Keep Animals Away? Members get 15+ publications right in your pocket. In 2017, a mountain lion sighting near Chris Yung . Trail camera photograph was confirmed on April 8. The 70-year-old man was hiking through a thick grove of juniper trees in Diamond Fork Canyon sometime between 1 and 3 p.m. April 27 when the cougar jumped at him and knocked him to the ground, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources outreach manager Scott Root told McClatchy News in a phone interview. Even in bobcats - the cougar's much more common and widespread cousin, which occurs across much of Pennsylvania - melanism is so far that only a dozen sightings have been confirmed anywhere in North America. A resident of Sweet Valley in Luzerne County reported that her family has seen a black mountain lion 4 times since August 2017. Black panthers - cats, not superheroes - have been reported repeatedly for decades in Pennsylvania, although even more rarely than have mountain lions. But as far as we can tell, those don't extend very far into the Panhandle area and some of the northern reaches of Oklahoma. In the history of Oklahoma, I don't know any (record of) a mountain lion attack. After watching the film, I became curious about how much people really know about black panthers and other big cats. Two were confirmed in Logan County (2014 and 2015), and one each in McClain (2002), Grady (2011) and Pottawatomie (2015) counties. Trail camera video was confirmed on October 27. It could be a mother defending her kittens. Mountain lions killed during the protection of life or property must be reported to MDC immediately and the intact carcass, including pelt, surrendered within 24 hours. Osage County leads the list with seven, followed by Cimarron County with six. If you think you have seen a mountain lion, bear, or wolf and have a photograph, video, tracks or other evidence that you believe will substantiate your sighting, contact the KDWPT Furbearer Biologist in the Emporia Research and Survey Office at (620) 342-0658 or report the sighting at the Contact Us link at the bottom of this page. However, because they are capable of traveling great distances, they have turned up in all parts of North Dakota. The man is in fair condition.. Does the number of confirmed sightings last year mean there is an established population of mountain lions in the state? Trail camera photograph was confirmed on Oct. 24. Mountain lion claws mans head while he relaxes in hot tub, Colorado officials say, Mountain lion attacks rafter before others fight back with paddles, AZ officials say, Elusive mountain lion family caught on trail cameras in Utah. DNA linked to South Dakota. There are approximately 4,000 of those 10- to 40-pound cats in the state. According to Donald W. Linzey's notes in Mammals of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (1995), the last mountain lion killed in the Great Smokies was back in the early winter of 1920: "Tom Sparks was said to have been attacked by a panther while herding sheep on Spence Field. Mountain lions inhabit the badlands and Missouri River breaks regions of North Dakota. Trail camera photograph was confirmed on February 13. 2014 Logan Co. Gender unknown. Please consider making a donation to support our programs like protecting the Everglades and the #SaveLACougars campaign, and other critical conservation work: This Bill Saves Wildlife in Crisis. If the mountain lion sees you, stand your ground; look as large as possible by standing up straight and putting your arms up in the air and slowly back away. Swallow found the . A hiker fought off a mountain lion that ambushed him in a canyon in Utah by throwing rocks at it, wildlife officials say. If confrontation is unavoidable, don't run, don't turn your back. Front 3" L, 3-1/2" W Rear 3" L, 3" W Walking stride: 19" - 32". 2019 Choctaw Co. Gender unknown. There always has been a lot of mystery surrounding mountain lions in Oklahoma. Officials posted signs notifying the public of the mountain lion activity and sighting. Find a good viewing spot a safe distance away (100-plus yards), and wait for the cat to return. Create a personalized feed and bookmark your favorites. Since 1970, 121 sightings have been identified as possible mountain lions, but have not been officially . South-central Oklahoma is one of those areas where we haven't really confirmed any mountain lions. Back to Top Taken with a game camera - Coalwood, McDowell County, West Virginia (#107) 9/12/12 It is 100% free to take part, and your observations will help support birders, researchers, and conservationists worldwide. If I've helped inspire a few young people way I was inspired, fine, but really, I have people that went before me to give credit to, Ron Dyvig said. Dont run. Where >> Patchy forests, especially bordering open fields Mountain lions like to work the edges while hunting, says Paul Beier, a Northern Arizona University biologist and mountain lion expert. Swallow found the mountain lion sleeping under her porch. The video was taken around 4 a.m. Friday. Can breed anytime of the year, but peak activity occurs February-March. They may not be hunted, killed, or harassed unless there is an imminent threat to person or property. If you run across what you think may be a black panther, its more than likely a melanistic leopard or jaguar. Root suggested learning more about mountain lions in Utah via the cougar page on wildawareutah.org. (Bears are in a different genus!). That mountain lion was transferred by the Illinois State Police to an IDNR wildlife biologist and was then delivered to the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana for a full necropsy and DNA analysis. What we do know is we have transient mountain lions in Oklahoma. Students from Wilson School helped the Rapid City Parks Department plant 28 trees at Wilson Park to celebrate Arbor Day Friday, April 28. Illegally shot and killed by poachers. Separated into East (10,419ft) and West Black Lion (10,432ft), and among numerous old mines (mainly silver mines), Black Lion Mountain is Montana's Pioneer Range's mineral rich peak. Trail camera photograph was confirmed on September 3. Black panthers are not native to North America, but they do exist as melanistic (black color) phases of the leopard (. Position yourself on a ridge or the opposite side of a canyon where you can watch without scaring them. Trail camera photograph taken along Red River on private land. Although mountain lions rarely attackpeople, some have occurred in western states. Why You Shouldnt Be Afraid of Mountain Lions, 12 Edible Bugs That Could Help You Survive, How to Tell If a Bear is About to Charge You on the Trail, What You Need to Know About Alligators Before Hiking or Paddling in Florida. This female showed no signs of past reproduction. 2020 Pawnee Co. Gender unknown. Just sits to watch for a while, then goes into the woods.". How does the Wildlife Department confirm a mountain lion sighting? If you can avoid confrontation, avoid it. If you enjoy this checklist, please consider contributing your sightings to eBird. Any of those things we will use to confirm a sighting. 2022 Woodward Co.- Gender unknown. 2002 McClain Co. Male. In Illinois, domestic dogs, domestic cats, and bobcats (Lynx rufus) are the animals most commonly misidentified as mountain lions. Urge Congress to Support It. [CDATA[/* >