'A noticeable uptick': Cougar sightings increasing in Missouri
There were nine confirmed mountain lion sightings in Missouri between January 3 and March 7, nearly doubling the state's entire 2022 total.
The two most recent sightings were caught by game cameras in Dallas County within two weeks of each other, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. Three were in Franklin County, including a cougar that was hit by a vehicle on a highway.
Missouri, which had only five sightings last year in five different counties, has had 112 confirmed reports since 1994. Only a dozen or so have been spotted in southwest Missouri, and most have been in south central and southeastern Missouri.
Missouri Department of Conservation scientist Nate Bowersock attributes the uptick in sightings to several factors. The increasing purchases of affordable game cameras have made Missourians more aware than ever, Bowersock said, as most of these territorial animals have likely made their way hundreds of miles from the west.
"There's definitely been a noticeable uptick in sightings, but there's been no evidence of an established population or breeding (in Missouri)," Bowersock said.
Fifteen sightings were confirmed by the MDC in 2021.
Bowersock says it's often male mountain lions that end up in Missouri when they're out-competed by bigger male cats for food in more prominent mountain lion territory in the west.
Many parts of Missouri have a habitat that can be desirable for mountain lions, Bowersock said, especially with deer population, fresh water and forests.
Greene County hasn't had a documented sighting since the MDC cougar data started in 1994, but nearby Christian County had one in 1997.
Bobcat sightings are much more common in the Ozarks, and the Branson Police Department recently issued warnings to hikers and campers to be mindful of wild cats and offered safety tips. The police department used a photo of a cougar in its social media graphic to warn residents.
Taney County has had just two confirmed cougar sightings since 1994, one in 2014 and another 2012.
The majority of Missouri's confirmed sightings have been by cameras over the years, but several also been identified after being shot by a hunter, hit by vehicles, or determined by the predation of animals such as an elk and deer.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Cougar sightings increasing in Missouri
