WAHOO, Neb. — Over the last couple of weeks, there have been several rumored sightings of mountain lions near the Heritage Heights area of Wahoo.
According to Nebraska Game and Parks conservation officer Mike Luben, he has heard about possible sightings of the big cat. At this time, however, he said there is no physical evidence to support the idea that there is one on the loose in the Wahoo area.
“There are no tracks, no photos, no proof of any kind,” he said.
Luben guessed that many of the photos and most of the sightings that have occurred locally are probably cases of mistaken identity.
Many of the local photos, he said, are blurry images taken by trail cams being used by deer hunters. Most of the reported sightings have involved significant distances between the animal and the person who saw it.
The mountain lion's smaller cousin, the bobcat, which is a native animal, has also been responsible for its fair share of false reports in this part of Nebraska.
While there is no specific proof that a mountain lion is on the loose in the Wahoo area, Luben noted that nothing is impossible.
“It's possible, though unlikely,” he said.
The mountain lion population is on the rise across the state of Nebraska, due in large part to the growing population of whitetail deer throughout the state.
Mountain lions prefer solitude and tend to shy away from populated areas.
The majority of the mountain lion sightings have been in the western part of the state. Colorado, Wyoming and South Dakota all have greater mountain lion populations than Nebraska.
“It is doubtful that a population will establish itself in areas where human population density and associated habitat disturbance is high,” said Jeff Rawlinson, an assistant administrator for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission's Information and Education System.
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