SHANNON COUNTY, Mo. — For the 117th time since 1994, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) confirms a mountain lion has been spotted in Missouri.
And this one killed an adult elk on Sept. 12, 2023 in Shannon County, Missouri, about 150 miles southwest of St. Louis.
MDC reported its Large Carnivore Response Team began getting reports of the mountain lion early on Sept. 12.
A trail camera was set up, and MDC captured an image of the animal and his prey. Apparently, the mountain lion returned to feed on the elk carcass, and that’s when he or she was caught on camera.
Mountain lions, also called cougars or pumas, are known to travel through Missouri, and experts said there’s no cause for alarm.
In a news release, MDC Furbearer Biologist Nate Bowersock said, “Mountain lions are natural predators to elk, and this scenario is nothing to be concerned about.”
MDC also said Missouri has an abundance of natural food for mountain lions, making the state an attractive stop for them. And while the MDC confirms it gets questions from residents regarding the safety of livestock, there has never been a confirmed instance of a mountain lion killing livestock in Missouri.
MDC plans to continue to monitor confirmed mountain lion sightings in the state.
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 here.
