CENTERVILLE – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has examined and released a male mountain lion trapped by a private citizen in Reynolds County.

Reynolds County Commissioner Wayne Henson called Conservation Agent Eric Long Thursday morning and reported catching the 122-pound mountain lion on Wednesday. Henson said the cat entered a large, cage-type live trap that he set on Mark Twain National Forest land to catch bobcats, coyotes, raccoons and other mammals.

Henson brought the mountain lion, still alive and in the cage trap, to Centerville this morning.

Agent Long and MDC Resource Scientist Jeff Beringer took possession of the animal and transported it to Current River Conservation Area, where Beringer could examine the animal without disturbance. After weighing and measuring the cat and collecting DNA, Beringer released it to the wild, in keeping with MDC’s established policy for such cases.

Beringer estimated the cat’s age at 2 years. He said it was in excellent physical condition and showed no signs of having been held in captivity.

All wildlife is protected under the provisions of the Wildlife Code of Missouri. However, the Code provides for the taking of wildlife during prescribed hunting and trapping seasons and under other circumstances, such as when mountain lions are attacking or killing livestock or domestic animals or threatening human safety.

MDC has not stocked mountain lions in Missouri and has no plans to do so.

The state agency wants to learn more about mountain lions in the ShowMe State and encourages Missourians to report sightings to the Mountain Lion Response Team.

Link Of Interest

Mountain Lion Response Team

Photo Above: Missourians are encouraged to report sightings of mountain lions in the state to the Missouri Department of Conservation Mountain Lion Response Team. (MDC Photo)