Texas wildlife officials are on alert after a pair of confirmed mountain lion sightings in Denton County in less than a week.
Because of their rarity in North Texas, state wildlife officials said they think both sightings near Lewisville Lake were of the same animal.
Here’s what we know.
Mountain lions are not common in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, said Rachel Richter, an urban wildlife biologist for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The agency started formally tracking mountain lion sightings in the state in the early 1990s, Richter said.
“Mountain lions were historically found in north and central Texas, but they have been extirpated from the area, and they’re not really found here anymore,” Richter said.
The pair of sightings recently confirmed by Texas wildlife officials this week were the first for Denton County, but they were not the first for the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
In late 2020, a mountain lion was spotted in Rowlett and parts of Collin County. The animal was likely killed by hunters in Hunt County, Texas, wildlife officials have said.
While state wildlife officials think the animal seen in recent videos is just passing through the area, one of the people who reported the now-confirmed sightings told The Dallas Morning News he heard reports of a mountain lion in the area two years ago.
Rachel Richter, an urban wildlife biologist for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, said mountain lions are nocturnal.
Both confirmed sightings were about 4 a.m., according to state officials and the people who reported the sightings.
In the case of sightings, people should gather the photo or video evidence they have and contact the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The list of the agency’s local biologists is available on the department’s website.
Encounters and incidents involving mountain lions are “extremely rare,” Richter said.
Since 1980, Texas Parks and Wildlife is only aware of four mountain lion attacks on humans in Texas, and all of them were in “remote areas of West Texas.”
If someone does encounter a mountain lion, however, it’s important to stay calm, Richter said. “Don’t approach it, and if you have small pets or kids with you, you want to pick them up,” she added.
People should not run or turn their back on the animal. They should keep their gaze on the animal and back away slowly. If the animal acts aggressively, people should try to “look big” by waving their arms and do anything in their power, including yelling and throwing objects, to scare the animal away. If a lion attacks, people should fight back, and they should not play dead, according to Texas wildlife authorities.
People should report all aggressive mountain lion behavior to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Richter said she thinks it would be “dangerous” for people to try to hunt the mountain lion, especially because it was seen in neighborhood settings.
It isn’t illegal to hunt a mountain lion, however.
“In Texas, anyone with a valid hunting license may take a mountain lion at any time of the year, by any lawful means on private property, and in any number,” she said in an email, adding there are no reporting requirements.
Sam Kieschnick, who is also an urban wildlife biologist for the state wildlife department, said Texas has no protections on mountain lions.
Mountain lions are a species of concern because of their small population, but are also considered a nuisance species to people who raise livestock, Kieschnick said. Even in places like west and south Texas, where mountain lions are more common, state officials do not know exactly how large the population is.
“All other states that have mountain lions have some level of protection, management or bag limit,” Kieschnick said, adding that he would like to see more data on how many mountain lions are in the state.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department accepts voluntary reports through the department’s Texas Hunt and Fish mobile app. People can also contact their local state wildlife department biologist, Richter said.
Additionally, if the person who harvested the mountain lion is interested, TPWD can collect biological samples for research.