By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

A trail camera in Rooks County captured a picture of a rare sight in northwestern Kansas – a mountain lion on the prowl north of Webster on Aug. 3.

“Yeah, there was one, we confirmed it,” said Ron Kaufman, director of information services for the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism.

The sighting was captured on a privately-owned trail cam, but other than the picture there is no information about the animal.

“We don’t know a whole lot about this one,” Kaufman said. However the department of did take their time in confirming the sighting.

“We always take time for our biologist to try to confirm that these are actually what they say they are,” he said.

“This is the 11th verified sighting of a mountain lion in Kansas since 2007,” according to the department’s Facebook page attached to the image.

“Although people often report seeing them, mountain lions are only occasionally confirmed in Kansas. The first confirmed mountain lion in Kansas in modern times was shot and killed in 2007 in Barber County in south-central Kansas,” according to information from the department.

“Prior to 2007, the last mountain lion documented in Kansas was killed in 1904 in Ellis County.”

While the sighting is out of ordinary, it is likely to be due to travel rather than a permanent home being set up in the area.

“So far, the animals appear to be passing through Kansas, rather than staying and establishing home ranges. KDWPT has no evidence of a breeding population in the state,” according to KDWPT information.

There is no hunting season for mountain lions, and so they cannot be killed without reason and reasonable efforts must first be made to alleviate problems caused by wildlife, before attempting to destroy the animal.

If a sighting is believed to have occurred the KDWPT asks the sighting be reported here, or by calling (620) 342-0658.