Mountain Lion

[dennishoddy]

March 22, 2012
A service of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation


Genetic analysis from "Minco mountain lion" confirms ties to South Dakota
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation recently confirmed origins of the mountain lion struck and killed by a motorist in November 2011 near Minco.
According to Erik Bartholomew, furbearer biologist for the Wildlife Department, the 130-lb. male mountain lion that was found dead along HWY 81 north of Minco is closely tied genetically to populations in the Black Hills of South Dakota. DNA analyses performed on tissue collected from the cat also confirm it was a wild mountain lion and not an escaped domestic animal.
"The cat's DNA shows a very close genetic relationship to wild populations in South Dakota," Bartholomew said. "We can say with a high level of confidence that this male was born in the Black Hills region. Another clue that this animal was wild is the fact that it had porcupine quills in its stomach. Apparently mountain lions consider them to be good eating, or maybe they are easy to catch, but many times western states report mountain lions with porcupine quills in their front legs and digestive tract."
A small tooth from the mountain lion's upper jaw also was sent to a lab for aging. Much like the rings on a tree, the root portion of the tooth has rings that can be used by experts to age the animal. The tooth from the "Minco mountain lion" showed that the animal was at least three years old.
"We have no idea of the path he used to get to Oklahoma," Bartholomew said. "However, with him being killed near the South Canadian, he likely was following the river where their primary prey - white-tailed deer - would be in high abundance. Males tend to have very large home ranges at or over 200 square miles. The Black Hills is a small island of habitat, and many times adult males will get in territorial disputes with young males and the loser leaves in search of new territory."
This mountain lion represents a unique research opportunity for the Department since the animals are secretive and because biologists have had few other opportunities to study them up close in Oklahoma.
Other wild mountain lions documented in Oklahoma also have tested positive for Black Hills origins, such as the female captured in the city limits of Tulsa last year and another believed to have been killed by a train in 2004 near Red Rock. A male mountain lion that was shot in 2010 in the Panhandle by a Department of Agriculture employee while depredating livestock tested positive for genetic ties to populations in eastern Colorado, and another confiscated by the Department's law enforcement division in southeast Oklahoma was genetically tied to populations in the Pine Ridge region of northwest Nebraska. Additionally, several other sightings have been documented, including a young radio-collared male from Colorado that traveled through the Panhandle's Texas County in 2010 and is now living in New Mexico, and trail camera pictures from the fall of 2009 that show mountain lions in Tillman and Atoka counties.
Also called "panthers," "cougars" and "pumas," mountain lions are native to Oklahoma and historically would have been found statewide. Bartholomew said it is a common misconception that the Wildlife Department has released mountain lions in Oklahoma.
Officials with the Wildlife Department rely on the public to report verifiable sightings, photos and reports of mountain lions to help document the species in Oklahoma.
To submit photographs and report sightings of mountain lions in Oklahoma, log on to wildlifedepartment.com and report your sighting online or call Bartholomew at (405) 385-1791.

 

[Okie4570]

Did you send ODOW your pic of the black one with the red collar?

 

[dennishoddy]

The Bastardo's didn't believe me.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

If I remember correctly the ODWC original press release said it was young male, even still having faint spots. Now it is at least 3 years old.

Starting to remind me of politicians being experts at fracing and the damages it causes. I mean I understand not having anybody that are experts on mountain lions employed at the ODWC because although Oklahoma has mountain lions, the numbers are unknown. Since we don't have experts, they should be more cautious in press releases. Something more like location of kill/confirmed sighting, method of capture/recovery/documentation and whether further testing will be conducted. The ODWC would like us to believe the numbers are very low and only traveling through. But at what point do they become residences of the state? Isn't 90 days residing in Oklahoma the rule for people?

 

[Jared]

If I remember correctly the ODWC original press release said it was young male, even still having faint spots. Now it is at least 3 years old.

Starting to remind me of politicians being experts at fracing and the damages it causes. I mean I understand not having anybody that are experts on mountain lions employed at the ODWC because although Oklahoma has mountain lions, the numbers are unknown. Since we don't have experts, they should be more cautious in press releases. Something more like location of kill/confirmed sighting, method of capture/recovery/documentation and whether further testing will be conducted. The ODWC would like us to believe the numbers are very low and only traveling through. But at what point do they become residences of the state? Isn't 90 days residing in Oklahoma the rule for people?

Im not Mountain Lion expert but it only took me a few minutes to find that they usually lose their spots by 2 1/2 years old. Doesnt seem crazy that a 3 yr old would have faint spots. Is a 3yr old not young? Sexual maturity in females is 1 1/2-3 years old. And life expectancy in the wild is 8-13 years. What was said that should lead ODWC to be more "cautious" in press releases in the future? Until a female with kittens is documented in the state then what else would ODWC want you to believe?

 

[Oklahomabassin]

First off, there isn't any bitterness in regards to the ODWC. Jared this isn't an attack against your employer. I was just pointing out there were a few statements in each release that seem to be slightly contradictory of each other. No big deal, most people have already formed there opinion on mountain lions in the state.


The article from March 22 will be in the next post, and in this one you will find the release from November 2, 2011.

I will copy contradicting information in the same color as I posted the corresponding news release in.
“His fur did have some faint spotting, and based on that, he would be a sub-adult between 12-20 months old,” Bartholomew said. November 2, 2011

The tooth from the "Minco mountain lion" showed that the animal was at least three years old. March 22, 2012

In my sarcasm, the mountain lion nearly doubled in age.

Original News Release 11/2/2011:
A mountain lion was found dead Nov. 1 along HWY 81 north of Minco after having been hit by a vehicle, according to Erik Bartholomew, furbearer biologist for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.

The young, 130-lb. male mountain lion will provide an important research opportunity for the Department since the animals are rare and elusive and because biologists have had few opportunities to study them up close in Oklahoma. Bartholomew and a team of Wildlife Department biologists have already collected data on the cat to determine its age and condition, and the animal itself will be used for educational purposes by the Department.

“We took general measurements of the body of the animal,” Bartholomew said, which included the cat’s weight and measurements of its body, head, tail and paws. Additionally, a tissue sample was collected for DNA analysis to try and determine the origin of the lion, and a tooth was also pulled so that it could be sectioned and stained to more precisely determine the age of the animal.”

“His fur did have some faint spotting, and based on that, he would be a sub-adult between 12-20 months old,” Bartholomew said.

Bartholomew said the mountain lion might have been following the South Canadian River corridor in search of new territory, as young males are sometimes pushed out of the territories of older, dominant males.

“These young males tend to have very large home ranges and can have movements of over 200 square miles. They go out, they look for new territory, and this one unfortunately ran into a car.”

River corridors are major travel passageways for all types of wildlife. Bartholomew said since humans build cities and towns along rivers, close encounters with wildlife will occur, but a mountain lions basic instinct is to avoid people.

Bartholomew said the Wildlife Department receives scattered reports of mountain lions “all the time,” but only three have been confirmed this year, including one in the Tulsa area and another whose photograph was captured by a trail camera near Sand Springs.

Also called “panthers,” “cougars” and “pumas,” mountain lions are native to Oklahoma, and Bartholomew said it is a common misconception that the Wildlife Department denies their existence in the state. Another common but false rumor is that the Wildlife Department has released mountain lions in Oklahoma.

“There is no doubt from the Wildlife Department’s standpoint that mountain lions occur in Oklahoma, but the Wildlife Department has never released them here,” Bartholomew said. “Additionally, we have never confirmed reproduction of mountain lions within the state. Without reproduction, we do not have a population. What we have are transient animals moving through the state looking for new territory.

Many wildlife species and domestic animals can be and often are mistaken for mountain lions, so getting confirmed, verifiable sightings can be challenging.

“As scientists, we can only rely on those sightings that are verifiable and confirmed, and fortunately we have had the evidence in recent years to confirm several sightings,” Bartholomew said.

Still, Bartholomew said the cats are rare in the state and that few people will ever have the opportunity to see one in the wild.

“Mountain lions are very secretive,” he said. “Even in states like New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado where there’s lots of mountain lions, very rarely are they seen. In fact most of the ones that are seen are the ones that are hit on the road.”

One of the state’s most elusive species, mountain lions were originally found throughout Oklahoma and were thought to have been eradicated in the state during the 19th century. There have been few documented cases since the late 1900s, but in the last decade, the Department has documented several confirmations. In addition to those this year, an adult male was killed illegally in Cimarron County in February of 2010. In April of 2010, a young radio-collared male from Colorado traveled through Texas County in the Panhandle and is now living in New Mexico. In the fall of 2009, trail cameras from Tillman and Atoka counties recorded mountain lions. In 2006, a mountain lion in Cimarron County was killing a landowner’s goats and was shot, and in 2004, a young radio-collared male from the Black Hills of South Dakota was hit by a train near the town of Red Rock.

Several characteristics distinguish mountain lions from other wildlife and domestic animals. Its tail is more than half the length of its body, and it has black tips on the tail and ears. Their coat is primarily tan in color. Males average seven feet long and weigh about 140 pounds, while females average six feet in length and weigh about 95 pounds.

There is not a mountain lion hunting season in Oklahoma. However, the law allows mountain lions to be taken by licensed hunters, but only when a mountain lion is committing or about to commit depredation on any domesticated animal or when deemed an immediate safety hazard. Individuals who kill a mountain lion must immediately call a game warden or other Wildlife Department employee.

Officials with the Wildlife Department rely on the public to report verifiable sightings, photos and reports of mountain lions to help document the species in Oklahoma.

“The only way we get information is when people report it,” Bartholomew said. “If people send us trail camera photos and we can confirm the location, that’s great information for us. Likewise this one was hit on the road, and somebody turned it into us. That’s the only way we can get data on these animals because they’re so secretive. There’s so few in this state that we rely on the public in order to gather information on them.”

To submit photographs and report sightings of mountain lions in Oklahoma, call Bartholomew at (405) 385-1791.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

Reply was too long and OSA wouldn't let me post in one. This is continued from the one above it.

Im not Mountain Lion expert but it only took me a few minutes to find that they usually lose their spots by 2 1/2 years old. Doesnt seem crazy that a 3 yr old would have faint spots. Is a 3yr old not young? Sexual maturity in females is 1 1/2-3 years old. And life expectancy in the wild is 8-13 years. What was said that should lead ODWC to be more "cautious" in press releases in the future? Until a female with kittens is documented in the state then what else would ODWC want you to believe?

News Release on 3/22/2012
Genetic analysis from "Minco mountain lion" confirms ties to South Dakota

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation recently confirmed origins of the mountain lion struck and killed by a motorist in November 2011 near Minco.

According to Erik Bartholomew, furbearer biologist for the Wildlife Department, the 130-lb. male mountain lion that was found dead along HWY 81 north of Minco is closely tied genetically to populations in the Black Hills of South Dakota. DNA analyses performed on tissue collected from the cat also confirm it was a wild mountain lion and not an escaped domestic animal.

"The cat's DNA shows a very close genetic relationship to wild populations in South Dakota," Bartholomew said. "We can say with a high level of confidence that this male was born in the Black Hills region. Another clue that this animal was wild is the fact that it had porcupine quills in its stomach. Apparently mountain lions consider them to be good eating, or maybe they are easy to catch, but many times western states report mountain lions with porcupine quills in their front legs and digestive tract."

A small tooth from the mountain lion's upper jaw also was sent to a lab for aging. Much like the rings on a tree, the root portion of the tooth has rings that can be used by experts to age the animal. The tooth from the "Minco mountain lion" showed that the animal was at least three years old.

"We have no idea of the path he used to get to Oklahoma," Bartholomew said. "However, with him being killed near the South Canadian, he likely was following the river where their primary prey - white-tailed deer - would be in high abundance. Males tend to have very large home ranges at or over 200 square miles. The Black Hills is a small island of habitat, and many times adult males will get in territorial disputes with young males and the loser leaves in search of new territory."

This mountain lion represents a unique research opportunity for the Department since the animals are secretive and because biologists have had few other opportunities to study them up close in Oklahoma.

Other wild mountain lions documented in Oklahoma also have tested positive for Black Hills origins, such as the female captured in the city limits of Tulsa last year and another believed to have been killed by a train in 2004 near Red Rock. A male mountain lion that was shot in 2010 in the Panhandle by a Department of Agriculture employee while depredating livestock tested positive for genetic ties to populations in eastern Colorado, and another confiscated by the Department's law enforcement division in southeast Oklahoma was genetically tied to populations in the Pine Ridge region of northwest Nebraska. Additionally, several other sightings have been documented, including a young radio-collared male from Colorado that traveled through the Panhandle's Texas County in 2010 and is now living in New Mexico, and trail camera pictures from the fall of 2009 that show mountain lions in Tillman and Atoka counties.

Also called "panthers," "cougars" and "pumas," mountain lions are native to Oklahoma and historically would have been found statewide. Bartholomew said it is a common misconception that the Wildlife Department has released mountain lions in Oklahoma.

Officials with the Wildlife Department rely on the public to report verifiable sightings, photos and reports of mountain lions to help document the species in Oklahoma.

To submit photographs and report sightings of mountain lions in Oklahoma, log on to wildlifedepartment.com and report your sighting online or call Bartholomew at (405) 385-1791.

 

[fishfurlife]

Im not Mountain Lion expert but it only took me a few minutes to find that they usually lose their spots by 2 1/2 years old. Doesnt seem crazy that a 3 yr old would have faint spots. Is a 3yr old not young? Sexual maturity in females is 1 1/2-3 years old. And life expectancy in the wild is 8-13 years. What was said that should lead ODWC to be more "cautious" in press releases in the future? Until a female with kittens is documented in the state then what else would ODWC want you to believe?

This. There is no confirmed sustained population. Until then they are transients.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

This. There is no confirmed sustained population. Until then they are transients.

I am not here to dispute that in anyway. I am merely pointing out the age differences of the cat between the two releases and how the cat nearly doubled in age.

 

[Jared]

I am not here to dispute that in anyway. I am merely pointing out the age differences of the cat between the two releases and how the cat nearly doubled in age.

Is the age the only contradiction? I am still confused. The biologist states that based on the spotting he would be a sub-adult from 12-20 months. And we know that they usually lose their spots by 30 months. But evidently this cat still showed "faint" spots. So to me that seems like a good assumption by a biologist about his age, especially since he stated the tooth would be sent off to get a more precise age. Were there problems incurred due to the original press release? i'm not seeing your reasoning for stating the ODWC needs to be more cautious in press releases.