Mountain lion photographed in Greene County

RIGHT: This photograph of a mountain lion was taken by a Department of Natural Resources motion-sensitive camera in Greene County on May 1. Courtesy photo

By Christy Mullins
May 7, 2010

It’s true. A mountain lion lives in Greene County, officers with the Department of Natural Resources announced today, after years of taking dead-end reports of big cat sightings in the area.

This time they have proof, according to a DNR news release.

On May 1, a motion-sensitive game camera snapped a photo of a large cat in rural land just east of Bloomfield, the statement says. Biologist Scott Johnson had set up the camera where preliminary studies showed “mountain lion behavior” had occurred, including a deer carcass buried under a pile of leaves. Four images were captured around 2:30 a.m., and all look relatively the same.

MAY 31, 2006: Local reports of cougars, panthers conflict with conventional wisdom on habitat, behavior

RIGHT: This photograph of a mountain lion was taken by a Department of Natural Resources motion-sensitive camera in Greene County on May 1. Courtesy photo

Conservation officers have been informing local residents of the likelihood that a mountain lion lives and hunts near their homes, according to the release. Now that it’s been confirmed, officers are warning the public that mountain lions, also known as cougars, pumas and panthers, are dangerous.

Encountering a mountain lion in Indiana is non-existent, according to the release, but in the case of an encounter, officers advise:

• Do not approach a mountain lion. Give it a way to escape.

• Do not run from a mountain lion. Instead, stand and face the animal. Make eye contact.

• Do not crouch or bend over. Do all you can to appear larger. Raise your arms, open your jacket or shirt. Wave your arms slowly and speak firmly in a loud voice.

• Hold children and pets near you.

• Fight back if attacked using big sticks, stones, or any other available items.

This month’s discovery was the result of a new DNR policy designed to collect data and evaluate sightings of mountain lions. It was prompted by increased reports of mountain lions migrating east, specifically out of South Dakota, said DNR’s Gary Langell, private land manager and developer of the mountain lion policy.

Since the policy’s inception in March, 19 mountain lion sightings have been reported around the state. Two of those reports were confirmed by biologists as animals other than a mountain lion. Sixteen cases went unsolved. DNR officers also have received reports of mountain lion sightings in Michigan and Chicago, Langell said.

“At this point,” he said, “it becomes more apparent we could have mountain lions show up in Indiana.”

Langell said without additional evidence, it’s impossible to say whether the mountain lion photographed in Greene County is wild or is formerly a captive cat.

In January 2007 a shy, female mountain lion named Donner escaped a 14-foot fence at the Exotic Feline Rescue Center in Clay County. Three and a half years later, the center still hasn’t found its missing cougar, but director Joe Taft confirmed this afternoon after meeting with DNR officials that the mountain lion in Greene County isn’t Donner.

Mountain lions are a protected species in Indiana, but state law allows a resident landowner or tenant to kill a mountain lion while it is causing property damage owned or leased by the landowner or tenant.

http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/stories/2010/05/07/outdoors.qp-4421270.sto