Wildlife Wildlife Department of Wildlife Wild Nature officials confirmed two photos of Mountain Lion in the state. On Tuesday, the agencies shared by Trail-Cam were captured in 2024. October and December In two different counties. Officials say the photos are the first specific evidence they have seen about mountain lions, potentially breeding in Oklahoma.
That two -word refusal “they have seen” is noticeable, as the observations of mountain lions have grown significantly in Oklahoma over the last few years. This led to many Oklahomans, including state laws, to believe that cats are returning. The governor even signed a new law, which forms the basis for the future puma hunting season if the ODWC decides to establish it in the future.
This photo of Trail Cam was taken in 2024. October In private land, Osage County. Photo of the courtesy of wildlife Conservation
However, the ODWC has long stated that there is no population of breeding mountain lions in the country and that any large cats observed in Oklahoma are probably short -term animals wandering from Texas, Colorado, New Mexico and Nebraska. State wildlife biologists said last year they simply did not find enough physical evidence (as scratches, tracks, signs of odors and similar individuals to support the existence of “viable local populations” in Cougaric lines.
Tuesday’s photos are obviously changing the calculation of what social media users wanted to emphasize. ODWC June 10 The Facebook post in the comment department contains a number of statements that the agency “lit” its inhabitants and “pushing lies” about Cougar populations. There are also dozens of commentators claims for other Cougar kittens they saw with their own eyes, which the agency usually responded to: prove it.
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“What kind of lie?” ODWC wrote in response to one commentator. “This is the first time we have provided us with kittens ‘photographic evidence and reviewed by a biologist. Any previous kittens’ observations have not been submitted to us with documents.”
The agency says the photos of the Cougar kittens were captured on the track cameras in two very different parts of the state sent by private landowners. In the first photo taken in October. In the Osage County, an adult lion with two semi -grown kittens behind it is depicted. The second was taken at night in Cimarron’s County December. It shows an adult lion with three smaller kittens.
The Cimarron County is the Western County of Oklahoma Panhandle and has a new Mexican wall with a healthy population of more than 3,000 mountain lions. The Osage County is nearly 400 miles east and straight south of the Kansas, and most of the mountain lions’ observations have occurred, approved by the ODWC in recent years. Looking at this story, the agency says that since 2002 It was able to verify the observations of 85 Puma, with a significant increase in 2023, when the state was confirmed by about 20 observations.
This chart shows that approved Puma observations in Oklahoma have recently increased. Graphic artist of courtesy of wildlife Conservation
In a statement announced on Tuesday, officials said this increase in Cougar’s observations coincided with the growing use of path cameras in Oklahoma. They said the latest kittens photos could encourage wildlife biologists to deploy more of those cameras and carry out additional local Cougar population studies. However, they also did not prevent these photos from calling the undeniable evidence that the Breeding Lions of the Oklahoma Mountains live.
“Although interesting and interesting, these observations are just one small piece of puzzle that is needed to better understand this species,” said Jerrod Brown, Biologist of ODWC Furbearer. “This is our first proof that mountain lions can breed in Oklahoma, which is the main indicator of which the population becomes established.”