(WHNT) — Pumas, panthers, and… catamounts? Regardless of what you call a mountain lion, they’ve been spotted in Alabama — just not as frequently as you might think.
According to the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADNCR), many cougar sightings in Alabama can be attributed to “misidentifications’ ‘ of dogs, cats, coyotes, and bobcats. Some of those sightings, while authentic, could even be cougars that have escaped captivity.
State officials point out that there are no self-sustaining wild populations of mountain lions in Alabama. Cougars are most common in the western United States, with the populations closest to Alabama found in West Texas and Florida, where they are listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
According to the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES), the last confirmed cougar sighting in Alabama was recorded in 1956 in Tuscaloosa County. Since then, wildlife officials have not confirmed any sightings of the creature in the Yellowhammer State.
If you believe you’ve encountered a cougar in the wild, BEST offers ways to stay safe and identify it from a distance:
Recognize anything else near the cougar to get an accurate assessment of its size. The average cougar stands at two feet tall or comes to the mid-thigh of an average adult man.
Check the length of the tail – mountain lions have long, wide tails that distinguish them from coyotes and bobcats.
Adult cougars are not black. They are sandy or grayish-brown, so if you think you’ve spotted a black cougar, you’re wrong!
If you believe you’ve seen a cougar, do not get close! Cougars are potentially dangerous animals and should be reported to local wildlife or law enforcement officials.
Learn more about mountain lions and their presence in Alabama here.
