A Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife officer killed a mountain lion on a Bourbon County farm (near Paris KY) on Monday, marking the first confirmed sighting of a mountain lion in KY since before the Civil War.
Earlier this Year in Jefferson County Ohio this sighting was reported:
Mountain lion spotted roaming in southeast Ohio by wildlife officer
By
on July 30, 2014 at 4:04 PM, updated July 30, 2014 at 6:16 PM
Email information from ODNR -Xenia Office regarding Mountain Lion Sighting on Tuesday night, July 29.
Timothy J Rourke
State Wildlife Officer
Ohio Division of Wildlife
1076 Old Springfield Pike
Xenia, OH 45385
As you may be aware, there was a mountain lion sighting in Jefferson County last night. Below you’ll find information about the sighting, mountain lions in general, and a link with very informative national information. If you need further information to answer public inquiries, let me know.
Please direct media calls to Jamey Emmert, Wildlife Communications Specialist District 3 (cell 330.802.9152).
Mountain lion information
(Also called cougar, puma, panther, painter and catamount)
Ohio sighting facts:
- An ODNR wildlife officer observed what appeared to be a mountain lion in the Wintersville area near Fernwood State Forest (Jefferson County, near Steubenville) around 6:00 p.m. on 7/29/2014. Wildlife Officers as well as local law enforcement are in the area and the wildlife district three office is taking reports of any sightings. An advisory was sent to local media last night, and the sighting was posted on Facebook. Safety tips were sent to local schools for distribution to athletic and cross country teams.
- At this time, details about this animal are unknown. Officials are reviewing records of individuals that have or had captive mountain lions in the area. Reports of mountain lion sightings have been made to the division over the years. To date, these reports turned out to be released/escaped captive animals or the misidentification of other animals.
- If this animal is wild, biologists indicate that it could be a young male that is moving through the area. These animals can move quickly, traveling more than 20 miles in a day.
General mountain lion facts:
The mountain lion is essentially a carnivore with a primary diet including birds, white-tailed deer fawns, and rodents.
Mountain Lion size and description: Head and body: 42 to 52 inches, tail 30 to 36 inches, height at shoulder 26 to 31 inches. Weight range: 70 to 170 pounds. A large, tawny to grayish feline with dark-tipped long tail.
For comparison, Bobcat: Head and body: 25 to 30 inches, tail 5 inches, height at shoulder 15 to 23 inches, weight range 15 to 35 pounds. Sandy in color with vague black spots, stubby tail tipped black on top and white underneath.
National perspective:
The mountain lion has a wide distribution, from Canada to South America. Formerly distributed throughout North America, the mountain lion is now found mostly in the remote areas of the western U.S., as well as western Canada and much of Mexico. A small population also exists in southern Florida.
Western cougar populations have been increasing since the 1960s, largely due to increased legal protection for the cats and to the growth and expansion of prey populations. Prominent cougar experts believe there may now be more mountain lions in the West than there were before European settlement.
National evidence suggests that the species is beginning to re-colonize in states adjacent to established populations. More info as well as maps of national confirmed sightings can be found here: http://www.cougarnet.org
Mountain lion reports not new in Ohio, but verified sightings are rare
By
on July 31, 2014 at 2:32 PM, updated July 31, 2014 at 3:44 PM
http://www.cleveland.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2014/07/mountain_lion_reports_not_new.html
Mountain Lion - Wikipedia