They are here !!!

Mountain lion verified in Platte County

This was the 11th verified sighting of a mountain lion in Missouri since 1994.

A mountain lion was caught on camera Friday in southern Platte County, the Missouri Department of Conservation said Tuesday.

This is only the 11th time that Missouri officials have verified a mountain lion sighting since 1994, though the department receives several reports in a normal year. A scientist with the Mountain Lion Response Team found claw marks and hair samples Tuesday in the tree where the mountain lion was spotted.

The hair will undergo DNA testing to see where the animal originated.

Mountain lions are a protected species in Missouri, though officials say there is no “self-sustaining, reproducing population” in the state. The few that were spotted in Missouri are thought to have been traveling through to other states.

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/11/30/2487861/mountain-lion-photographed-in.html#ixzz16uSIkv4P



The following instances have been confirmed by the MDC Mountain Lion Response Team. However, the origin of theses animals (i.e. escaped/released captive or pioneer from other state) is unknown.

2003 —August, Callaway County: An approximately 1-year-old male road kill. There were no obvious signs that it was formerly a captive animal. DNA analysis revealed its origin to be North America.

2002 —October, Clay County: A 2- to 3-year-old male road kill. DNA analysis revealed its origin to be North America.

2001 —December, Pulaski County: A photograph was taken by a motion-detecting game camera. After a lengthy evaluation, it was determined that it is likely a small, sub-adult mountain lion.

2000 —December, Lewis County: A video was taken by a deer hunter from a tree stand.

1999 —January, Texas County: An adult-sized lion was treed by a rabbit hunter’s dogs. Tracks in the snow (photos taken) and two deer carcasses characteristic of lion kills were found nearby.

1997 —January, Christian County: A video was taken by a property owner. The animal’s behavior implied it had once been held in captivity.

1996 —November, Reynolds County: A video was taken by a conservation agent of a mountain lion with a deer carcass.

1994—December, Carter County: A small adult female was treed and shot by two raccoon hunters near Peck Ranch CA. The carcass was never recovered, but a photo was obtained of the animal on a truck tailgate. Each hunter was fined $2,000.

In Nov. 1998, a deer hunter found the skinned pelt of a small adult, a female with head and feet attached, near a remote Texas County road. Evidence suggests this is the same animal killed in Carter county.