I don’t think there’s a creature I’d want to encounter less than a mountain lion.
First off, these creatures have the ability to rip you to shreds, and even though they tend to fear human interaction, mountain lions have been known to attack humans on occasion. On top of that, mountain lions are incredibly elusive, and they can be stalking you from only a few feet away and you could have no idea.
Needless to say, I can understand why this Missouri town is in a bit of a frenzy with these mountain lion sightings, especially after this specific one.
This one went down in Shannon County, Missouri.
According to WSILTV, the Missouri Department of Conservation announced that a mountain lion was spotted in the southern part of the state, after reports of these sightings initially dropped on September 12th.
It’s very uncommon to find mountain lions in Missouri, as there are no breeding populations in the state. However, on rare occasions, mountain lions have been known to pass through the state. Elk are also very rare in the state, making this quite the once in a lifetime encounter.
Elk were reintroduced to the state in 2011, and today, the herd has grown to about 250. With goals of reaching 400-500, only 5 elk tags will be given out this year.
The MDC looked at trail cameras and confirmed the mountain lion was in the area, and said that it had returned back to feed on an adult elk carcass.
MDC Furbearer Biologist Nate Bowersock said:
“Mountain lions are natural predators to elk, and this scenario is nothing to be concerned about.
Here in Missouri, we have an abundant of natural foods for mountain lions. While we do get questions regarding livestock, there has never been a confirmed instance of a mountain lion killing livestock in Missouri.”
This marks the 117th confirmed mountain lion sighting in Missouri.
I can understand why the residents of Shannon County, Missouri would be a bit uneasy over this, because seeing a mountain lion feeding on an elk carcass is a bit unsettling.
But nevertheless, a fairly rare occurrence in the Show Me State.
