Mountain lion seen prowling Nebraska neighborhood sparks citywide hunt, official says

Authorities are searching for a mountain lion that was recently seen roaming through a city in Nebraska.

A home security camera in Omaha recorded the big cat prowling the streets around 4:15 a.m. on July 24, according to a news release from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

After seeing the footage of the feline predator, the homeowner contacted state officials, who organized a hunt for the animal.

“Law enforcement officers are out looking for tracks to see which way it’s headed,” a spokesperson for the game and parks commission told McClatchy News.

The animal, a juvenile, likely wandered off from an established population elsewhere in the state, the spokesperson said.

“The young individuals will sometimes disperse, looking for a mate or their own territory,” the spokesperson said. “So this is likely one of those individuals.”

If authorities find the animal within city limits, they will attempt to euthanize it for safety reasons, the spokesperson said.

“We don’t want to incite fear at this moment because it’s really really unlikely that anyone will encounter this mountain lion,” the spokesperson said.

But, on the off chance that an Omaha resident encounters the animal, it’s crucial to stay calm and move away slowly without turning your back on the cat.

The tan-colored felines are native to the Cornhusker State, though they were “eliminated” in the late 19th century, according to the game and parks commission website. The state’s population was revitalized when mountain lions in Colorado, Wyoming and South Dakota expanded into Nebraska.

Most of the state’s mountain lions are found in the panhandle, an area in the western part of the state, the spokesperson said.

“We’ve never had any physical interactions or attacks from a mountain lion on a person in Nebraska,” Sam Wilson, furbearer and carnivore program manager for the state game and parks commission, told McClatchy News. “It has happened in other states, but it’s rare.”

Though uncommon, several mountain lion attacks have been reported recently across the U.S.

An 11-year-old girl in Colorado was swatted by a mountain lion in May, resulting in a punctured cheek, according McClatchy News reported. And while hiking a California trail, a 5-year-old boy was bitten by a mountain lion in January, resulting in minor injuries.

This story was originally published July 25, 2023 at 1:03 PM with the headline "Mountain lion seen prowling Nebraska neighborhood sparks citywide hunt, official says."