About That Mountain Lion You Just Saw…on Nextdoor

Mountain lions were spotted this week on Nextdoor, a hyperlocal social-networking service for neighborhoods.

But they haven’t been seen in the Canyon Lake area, despite reports of the big cats appearing in Vintage Oaks and Eagle Peak areas.

“Likely people are seeing either house cats or bobcats, which are very common,” said Megan Radke with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) Press Office.

She checked in with TPWD’s mammologists, who provided this link to confirmed reports of mountain-lion sightings in Texas, including a breakdown by county.

Comal County is not on the list. To report a mountain lion to a TPWD biologist, click here.

TPWD reminds the public that bobcats and mountain lions are two entirely different species and look completely different.

As for ocelots — they’re extremely rare. Only around 50 are left in the United States and they primarily reside on the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge in Los Fresnos.

Several years ago, Liz Bates, then a New Braunfels-based wildlife specialist with TPWD, provided these tips on what to do if you suspect you’ve seen a mountain lion:

• Take photos! Set up a game camera. If you see tracks, take a photo next to something you can use to judge the size, such as a dollar bill or pen.
• Pick up all children off the ground immediately.
• Do not approach the lion.
• Stay calm. Talk calmly and move slowly.
• Face the lion and remain in an upright position.
• Do not turn your back on the lion. Back away slowly.
• Do not run.
• Do all you can to enlarge your image. Do not crouch down or try to hide.
• If the lion is aggressive, throw rocks, sticks or anything you can get your hands on.
• If the lion attacks, fight back. Fighting back can drive off mountain lions.

For more information about Texas mountain lions, click here.