Here Kitty, Kitty, Kitty. Or Who Put That Barbed Wire Fence There!?

[Stoneroller]

http://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/mdc-confirms-mountain-lion-sighting-oregon-county

WEST PLAINS – A tuft of hair left on a fence in Oregon County March 9 definitely belongs to a mountain lion, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC).

MDC Resource Scientist Jeff Beringer today released results of a DNA test on hair taken from a fence along Highway M, near the community of Rover. Beringer said Conservation Agent Jerry Elliott retrieved the hair after receiving a report form an area resident who saw the cougar run across the road.

The man told Elliott that a full-grown mountain lion ran across the road in front of him and got its hind leg caught as it attempted to jump a fence on the opposite side of the road. He said the animal struggled briefly before it escaped, leaving a tuft of hair the size of a cotton ball in the top strand of the barbwire fence.

When he arrived at the scene, Elliott placed the hair in an evidence bag. Subsequent testing at the University of Missouri positively identified the hair as coming from a mountain lion, Puma concolor.

Beringer said the University’s laboratory does not have adequate reference material to evaluate the cat’s possible relationship to mountain lions from different geographic areas.

“We want to find out as much as possible about where the animal might have come from,” said Beringer, “so we will send the remaining hair sample to a genetics lab in Montana to determine the cat’s likely origin.”

Beringer said that testing could take several weeks to months.

This is the sixth verified mountain lion sighting in Missouri since late November and the 16th in modern times. In cases where carcasses have been available for examination, most have been young males. Young male mountain lions go in search of new territories when they mature. Beringer said MDC has no evidence to suggest that a breeding population of mountain lions exists in Missouri.

Mountain lions, also called cougars, panthers and pumas, were present in Missouri before pioneer settlement. The last documented Missouri mountain lion was killed in the Bootheel in 1927. The closest populations of mountain lions to Missouri are in South Dakota and a small population in northwest Nebraska.

Beringer said that MDC has never stocked or released mountain lions in Missouri and has no plans to do so.

To report a sighting, physical evidence or other mountain-lion incident, contact a local MDC office or conservation agent, or email the Mountain Lion Response Team at mountain.lion@mdc.mo.gov.

There have been no confirmed cases in Missouri of mountain lions attacking people, pets or livestock in modern times. For more information on mountain lions in Missouri, visit www.MissouriConservation.org and search “mountain lion.”

-Jim Low-

[Guest]

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[Tim Smith]

Did anyone else find that wording sort of strange?

Not strange in my opinion. It sounds like they were addressing some of the normal issues that would be raised by the public.

"No, we didn't put them there."

"No, we don't know where it's from or what sex it is but we'll find out soon."

"Please contact us if you think you see one too."

What did you see that was strange?

[Guest]

deleted

[podum]

If they have DNA, why no mention of the sex of the animal? Thought that would be in the write up.

[Outside Bend]

The word "most" struck me as strange, does that mean they have found some that are female? I was under the assumption that they have all been males that are being pushed out of populations from the west?

I think one of the early reports ( maybe the one that was shot around Eminence in the mid 90's) was female, but I could be wrong.

[troutfiend1985]

I think one of the early reports ( maybe the one that was shot around Eminence in the mid 90's) was female, but I could be wrong.

Yeah that could be. But still you would think the MDC would rather have wording that read "All confirmed sightings have been male since. . ." But it was probably just sloppy journalism.

[Chief Grey Bear]

Yeah that could be. But still you would think the MDC would rather have wording that read "All confirmed sightings have been male since. . ." But it was probably just sloppy journalism.

How could they say that?

http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/wildlife-sightings/mountain-lions/confirmed-sightings

Nothing sloppy in the journalism. Just in the bashing.

[troutfiend1985]

How could they say that?

http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/wildlife-sightings/mountain-lions/confirmed-sightings

Nothing sloppy in the journalism. Just in the bashing.

Chief, the site you linked shows one female sighting which was in 1994. That would tend to state that there has been no confirmed sighting of a female since 1994 by your own source. I'm not bashing you, but what I was trying to say is that this journalist did use a funny wording and that MDC seems adamant about the fact that MO lacks a breeding population because of the lack of a female sighting. The reason that this is sloppy is that "most" tends to show that there are at least some female sightings, instead of the one that was sighted in 1994. That’s all I'm trying to get at, and that's why I think it was a little sloppy.

[Chief Grey Bear]

In that link I provided, 11 of the 15 confirmed were either photos, or tracks. The other 4 had a carcass in which gender was determined. There is no way the MDC can the statment of..."All confirmed sightings have been male since. . ." And again, until evidence is discovered, such as a den or kits, you cannot say with any validity that there is a breeding pair within the borders of Missouri.

And you want to be my lawyer???