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OTTUMWA, IOWA -- For Wednesday's Facebook story of the day, you wanted to know what to do if you ever came across a wild mountain lion.

Mountain lions are not designated wildlife in Iowa, but those that are spotted are usually young adult males that have come into the state from the west looking for new territory. They are generally not aggressive.

Sightings in the state are rare, so the Iowa Department of Natural Resources needs solid proof of a lion sighting before taking action.

"We get a lot of, you know, people who have seen something that looks like it might be a mountain lion, but whether is actually is or not... If we can, for us, if we can get a picture of one, it'd definitely be beneficial," said Jeff Glaw, Iowa Department of Natural Resources biologist.

If there is a verified sighting, the DNR will do surveillance work and analyze tracks to determine how many animals are in the area.

As for safety tips, if you do encounter a mountain lion, do not run. It will prompt the animal to chase you as if you were prey. Instead, stand tall, puff out your chest and try to look as big as possible, and then slowly back away.

There have been 19 human fatalities from mountain lions reported in the last 150 years and none of them were in Iowa. But if you are attacked, fight back with sharp objects and aim for the animal's eyes.