Mountain lion spotted near town

Woman feels lucky to get away from big cat

BY CINDY TOOPES COURIER STAFF WRITER

OTTUMWA — There’s no doubt in Lisa McConnell’s mind. She faced a mountain lion last Wednesday on her Wapello County farm.

“I was walking back by the pond and just happened to see it,” she said. “I felt lucky to get away.”

As she neared her pond levee area, she thought she saw a baby deer for a few seconds. When she stepped closer to the animal, it sat up and was the size of a German shepherd dog.

“I’ve never seen anything like that out here,” said McConnell who has lived on Rock Bluff Road for at least 20 years. “I decided to get away. I knew better than to run but as I started to turn around, the mountain lion started to come toward me.”

McConnell stopped so the animal stopped. She decided to walk backward and the big cat didn’t chase her.

“I was able to get back to the house. But, I haven’t been outside by myself since then,” she said. “We don’t usually have them out here. Some neighbors said they have heard [the mountain lions].”

McConnell considers herself “easy prey” for such an animal and “very lucky” that her encounter with the big cat ended in her favor.

“Here in Iowa we don’t have to worry about dangerous wildlife. We don’t expect to run into bears and mountain lions,” she said.

The big cat “wasn’t scared of” her and “didn’t offer to leave.” McConnell felt like the cat was “stalking” her.

McConnell reported her sighting to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The DNR officer told her that if she feels threatened by an animal she can shoot it.

“I don’t walk around with a gun in my hand,” she said. “We’ve lived here for years. This was a shock to me and I felt lucky to get out of the situation.”

McConnell said her area has “quite a few houses” but there’s also a “sizable deer population” and that’s a mountain lion’s favorite prey.

The DNR officer said she may have seen a bobcat.

“I know I have no proof and nothing to show them, but I know the difference between the smaller bobcat and a mountain lion,” she said. “There was no mistaking this.”

Ron Andrews is a DNR furbearing wildlife specialist. “Never say never” was his reaction to McConnell’s sighting.

“We don’t get all calls investigated,” he said. “More than likely this was a mistaken identification. But, she was there and I wasn’t. Who am I to make the final call? These cats are very mobile.”

Andrews also said that once this story is printed, then many people will assume that any cat they see is a mountain lion. In looking at tracks, people need to remember the felines have retractable claws so no claws will show in a track.

“We can’t map a sighting unless we have a photo,” Andrews said. “If we had droppings, or ‘scat,’ from the cat, then we could test the DNA. But, cats typically cover up their scat.”

Before a photo can be validated, it has to be “groundproofed” to Iowa. Andrews said there was a photo of a dead mountain lion on the Internet that was labeled “Jefferson, Iowa,” but the cat was actually hit in Arizona.

“There’s no need to be held hostage in your home,” Andrews said. “Big cats prefer to avoid humans. They have scent and can detect humans.”

Andrews said it “wasn’t necessary” for parents to hover over their children out in the country areas.

“Kids would be in more danger from two-legged residents than four-legged rascals,” he said.

If you run a search for “mountain lions Iowa,” the first item to come up will very likely be a DNR pamphlet about mountain lions. The pamphlet features numerous details, including track charts that compare mountain lions, bobcats, dogs and coyotes.

The pamphlet also contains Andrews’ contact information: (641) 357-3517, DNR office, Clear Lake; and, (641) 425-5088, cell phone. The DNR’s Web site is http://iowadnr.com.

Cindy Toopes can be reached at (641) 683-5376 or via e-mail at cindy@ottumwacourier.com.