Wildlife Officials Confirm Mountain Lions Are Here And Breeding

There's always been a long-standing debate on whether or not Oklahoma has large predators like mountain lions, also known as cougars. Although they aren't seen often, they have been spotted here in the sooner state, but not many have been able to confirm if they're just passing through.

Reporter Lacey Lowry shared photos of a mountain lion family spotted on what looks like a game camera, saying "you are looking at the first piece of evidence that mountain lions may be breeding in Oklahoma."

The viral video of the man being stalked and confronted by a mountain lion may have seemed like something that would never happen in Oklahoma. But, now with confirmation of at least two mountain lion families, it may be something hikers and outdoorsmen in Oklahoma should consider.

"The Wildlife Department has confirmed 85 sightings of individual mountain lions since 2002."

According to her Facebook post, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation has confirmed two adult mountain lions with kittens in different regions of the state. In 2024, there was photo evidence of an adult mountain lion with kittens on her side in Osage County. The same year, another mother and litter was discovered in Cimarron County.

Although the comments are filled with Oklahomans confirming that, at some point, many people have seen mountain lions here, there are still plenty of people that swear we don't have them in the state. These posts, however, finally put that debate to rest. Now, the only question is: where should you expect to see these animals?

According to cougarfund.org, the most common place to spot mountain lions during the day is the far western ecoregion known as the Rolling Red Plains. Here, they seem to be traveling in between Colorado, New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle.

They tend to live in areas without a lot of traffic from people in rocky, mountainous areas (hence the name), which makes this region ideal breeding grounds for their families.

What should you do if you're spotted by a mountain lion?

Because of their elusive nature, the chances are that the cougar will likely spot you before you spot it. In this case, you want to make sure you do a few things to ensure your safety and the animal's safety in the situation. According to the National Park Service, you should:

• Stay calm.
• Do not approach a lion.
• Do not run from a lion.
• Do not crouch down or bend over.

Instead, wave your arms slowly and speak firmly in a loud voice, hold your ground and eye contact. Make yourself seem bigger.

If in this case, the mountain lion doesn't seem affected, try throwing sticks, stones or items in its direction, but avoid hitting it just yet. Only do so as a last resort.

@ultrahdexplainer Face to Face with a Mountain Lion: A Hiker’s Terrifying Ordeal!#animal#annimals#animalworld#wildanimal#animalsoftiktok#fyp#foryou#foryoupage♬ Morsmordre（莫斯莫多） - Crazy Donkey