Wildlife authorities in Arkansas say they are examining the carcass of a mountain lion that somebody discovered in the state recently. The discovery is Arkansas’ first main cougar sighting in nearly a decade.
The state’s Game and Fish Commission broke the news with a social networks post. Discovering a cougar in the state is substantial as the state hasn’t had a reproducing population of mountain lions for more than a century.
According to the post, an employee for the U.S. Forest Service discovered the animal’s remains in the Sylamore Wildlife Management Location. That remains in the northern part of the state.
A wildlife veterinarian examined the cougar’s carcass and said there was no evidence that the animal was shot or struck by a car. There’s no main word on what may have eliminated it.
“An adult, male mountain lion weighing 118 pounds and measuring roughly 85 inches in length was taken a look at Thursday at the AGFC Calico Rock local workplace,” stated Jenn Ballard, a wildlife vet who works for the Arkansas Video Game and Fish Commission. “The carcass was reasonably broken down and was exceptionally thin. It had actually seriously used, broken and missing teeth, and the stomach was empty.”
They plan to test it for infections and other toxic substances.
In November 2014, a deer hunter shot and killed a mountain lion in the state. Authorities believed it had actually taken a trip all the way from Wyoming or South Dakota.
Mountain Lions in Arkansas
Outdoors.com recently consulted with a wildlife biologist focused on mountain lions, and they said the species can go hundreds of miles from where it was born looking for a mate. In Arkansas’ case, the closest state with a proven reproducing population of cougars is Texas.
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) authorities state the animal existed throughout the state till about 1920. Like numerous other parts of the U.S., the variety of mountain lions decreased due to the destruction of habitats and hunting.
However, the distance to a state like Texas indicates seeing a mountain lion isn’t out of the concern. In truth, considering that 2010, AGFC has just 23 confirmed sightings.
Anybody who believes they saw a cougar in the wild can report it to state authorities.
Here’s what you need to do if you come in person with a mountain lion while hiking in the woods.
Wildlife officials in Arkansas state they are examining the carcass of a mountain lion that somebody found in the state recently.