Canoe The Ozarks

Wowsers and Yikes!

Local media recently reported a sighting of a Mountain Lion in a wooded area of Chesterfield.  A photo of this curious cat was captured on a trail camera by a Chesterfield resident(Jan.12th) and was later confirmed by the Missouri Dept. of Conservation(MDOC).

But there’s no reason to be alarmed here.  Mountain Lions, also called Panthers, Pumas and Cougars, are secretive and tend to stay away from people according to a spokesman at MDOC.

And since 1994, only 14 sightings in the state have been confirmed by the  Department.  For more information:  go to:

http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/wildlife-sightings

Young males are known to leave the areas where they are born and roam into new territories, but there is no evidence of any reproducing population in the state of Missouri.

Okay, I feel better acquainted with this big cat now and I’ll keep taking my dog for walks in the evening; however, if I was a cat owner, I might abandon the “here, kitty kitty” strategy altogether.

And the next time I’m floating on an Ozark river, I’m sure I’ll gaze up at the bluffs with a new purrspective.

by William Hughes.