(Spencer)– An increase in sightings of mountain lions in Iowa was the topic of a program Wednesday at the Clay County Fair. It was presented by Ron Andrews of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. He admits the agency downplayed and even denied the reported sightings for years. He says it was finally in 2000 when the DNR started acknowledging the sitings–when a mountain lion was shot dead for the first time in modern history in Iowa.
Andrews says there have been 13 confirmed sightings of mountain lions in Iowa with six sets of tracks that have been positively identified.
Andrews says for the DNR to confirm a mountain lion sighting they have to have hard proof such as a picture, video or even the animal itself.
Mountain lions have also been sighted recently in South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and northern Missouri. Here in northwest Iowa the big cats have been spotted in Lyon, Sioux, Cherokee, Woodbury and Webster counties.
(Story from Danielle Hitchings of sister station KDWD Hot 100 in Spencer.).
