Mountain lion sighting confirmed in NW Missouri

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- State conservation officials have confirmed the sighting of a mountain lion in northwest Missouri.

The Conservation Department said a photo taken last week by a Platte County landowner clearly shows a mountain in a tree on his property. The department also identified claw marks and collected hair samples from where the animal was perched.

The department said it receives dozens of reports each year from Missourians claiming to have seen a mountain lion. But of more than 1,500 such reports received since 1994, just 11 have come with enough evidence to confirm the presence of a mountain lion. That figure includes the recent Platte County sighting.

The department said there have been no documented cases in Missouri of mountain lions attacking livestock, people or pets.