A mountain lion has been spotted in Linn Grove
and is confirmed to be roaming in northwest Iowa.
Vince Evelsizer, a furbearer biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, told the Register on Wednesday that a mountain lion was reportedly seen in southwest Clay County a few weeks ago.
"We don't know if that's the same cat or a different one," he said. "This is all fairly random when they typically show up." Aaron Anderson of Linn Grove caught a mountain lion on trail camera footage in the tiny Buena Vista County town, which is about 22 miles south of Clay County.
He shared a couple photos of his find Tuesday evening on Facebook. The post has more than 1,800 shares as of 11 a.m. Wednesday.
In June, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources killed a female mountain lion near a farm in Ida County, which is about 40 miles from Buena Vista County. Evelsizer said the DNR isn't planning to seek it out unless there's "a perceived threat to human safety" like the last cat.
"The cat is staying out of trouble," Evelsizer said. "Respect for the animals whenever and wherever possible is a first priority. We highly encourage folks to give them their space. And they often are so secretive they keep to themselves."
Since 1995, there have been 21 mountain lions in Iowa confirmed by the DNR. Evelsizer said DNA results from the mountain lion killed in June indicated that it originated from Wyoming. Mountain lions in Iowa generally come from western South Dakota and Nebraska.
Mountain lions are not listed as a furbearer and have no protected status in Iowa.
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