JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) confirms that an adult elk was killed by a mountain lion in Shannon County on Sept. 12. A possible sighting of another mountain lion, off Highway 32 in Ste. Genevieve County was reported by a resident.
Reports of the Shannon County mountain lion sighting were sent to MDC staff early on Sept. 12, and members of MDC’s Large Carnivore Response Team responded to the area later that same day to confirm the sighting. Trail camera images were used to confirm that a mountain lion was in the area and had returned to the elk carcass to feed.
“Mountain lions are natural predators to elk, and this scenario is nothing to be concerned about,” says MDC Furbearer Biologist Nate Bowersock. “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.”
The sighting in Ste. Genevieve County was reported by a witness, who took a photo of it.
“This is somehow the only pic I got of it but I’m 90 percent sure that’s a mountain lion,” the witness stated. “(The) (t)ail is tucked, wish it wasnt but the black on the back edges of ear is what has me sold on it being a mountain lion, doesn’t have the coloring of a bobcat at all that I can see from the pic, and everyone I talked to that saw the pic said if it’s not a mountain lion it has to be an absolute mammoth male bobcat but I’m pretty sure it’s a mountain lion.”
Mountain lions are known to travel through Missouri, but there is no known breeding population in the state. MDC staff did collect genetic samples from the site which are in the process of being analyzed to provide further information about the animal such as the sex of the animal. Most confirmed sightings of mountain lions in Missouri are males.
MDC continues to monitor confirmed mountain lion sightings in the state, and this sighting marks the 117th confirmed sighting since 1994. Suspected mountain lion sightings can be reported to MDC by emailing photos, video, or physical evidence to mountain.lion@mdc.mo.gov. More information about mountain lions in Missouri can be found at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4eV.