A mountain lion sighting in Missouri has people talking and authorities reminding residents to take safety measures.

What happened?

Missouri resident Jessiy Hayes let her dogs out one night only to find a mountain lion hanging around the fence in her back field. Luckily, the animal wasn't interested in her, and her dogs scared it away. 

However, according to News-Press Now, the Missouri Department of Conservation confirmed a total of five mountain lion sightings in 2025. 

Most of the sightings were similar to Hayes' experience, and no one reported injuries, but Hayes told News-Press Now that one of her neighbors had a close call. She explained, "This person was out doing his cattle and he did get scared because of one of them was trying to attack him."

Why are these mountain lion sightings concerning?

Mountain lions are known for their agility and speed, able to maintain a sprint at approximately 40 miles per hour. This gives them the ability to attack quickly, and they have been known to attack not only humans but also pets. 

Often, mountain lion encounters with humans and domesticated animals end with someone injured or even dying, like the couple in Colorado who lost their dog to a mountain lion. 

As harmful as these encounters can be for people, though, they can be equally disastrous for the mountain lion. When wildlife attacks, authorities typically hunt the animal to euthanize it, contributing to population decline. As mountain lions are predators that promote genetic health in prey populations by culling sick animals from the herd, their population decline affects other wildlife populations. 

However, these types of encounters are usually not the fault of the wild animal.

Because of habitat loss, extreme weather events, and fewer natural resources, many wild animals must move to new areas to find food and safety. This often leads them to more densely populated areas, increasing the risk of human-wildlife encounters and animal attacks.

What's being done about mountain lions in Missouri?

Because mountain lion sightings in Missouri are so rare and unpredictable, experts are simply reminding residents to always take safety measures. These include keeping pets inside, securing livestock, and avoiding being outside at dusk and dawn when mountain lions are most active.

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