Deputy on patrol spots mountain lion

Posted: 07.05.2011 at 4:32 PM

WEST QUINCY, MO. -- KTVO’s sister station, KHQA in Quincy, recently received several news tips about a mountain lion seen by a Marion County Sheriff's deputy.

KHQA was able to confirm that a deputy had reported the sighting and a conservation officer out of Hannibal was notified.

The mountain lion was seen behind the old West Quincy Drive-In off of County Road 357 in West Quincy, Mo. early Friday morning.

The Marion County Sheriff's Department says that the deputy was out on a normal patrol just after midnight Friday when he spotted what he thought was a mountain lion.

When he spotted it, the deputy shined his spotlight on it and watched it from several yards away. The mountain lion was stalking a raccoon while the deputy watched for 15 minutes. The deputy called a state trooper and a conservation agent. The conservation agent told him to mark the area in which it was seen.

On Saturday, members of the Missouri Mountain Lion Response Team came to look for any physical evidence. They couldn't find any feces, tracks, hair or carcasses of mountain lion prey to prove that a mountain lion had actually been there. Because of that, they can't rule it a confirmed sighting.

They are listing in the report that it was sighted by a credible witness because it was Sheriff's deputy.

Melissa Shriver, KHQA reporter, asked the Missouri Department of Conservation if the people of Quincy should be concerned because the sighting was so close by, but was told that mountain lions are naturally reclusive and tend to stay away from populated areas.

There is a naturally large food supply for them in rural areas nearby and they won't go into a city or town just to find food.

Story provided by KHQA-TV
Reported by Melissa Shriver

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