Mountain lions have been visiting the state for more than 20 years, according to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. But two separate sightings and photos of kittens point to a potential established population.
Late last year, two half-grown kittens were spotted in Osage County, and three were found in Cimarron County, the department said in a news release. Private landowners sent the photographic evidence to the agency.
Healthy Oklahoma ecosystems and a general eastward expansion could be behind the sightings, according to Jerrod Davis, a senior wildlife biologist with the department.
Mountain lions prefer dense forest cover or rocky terrain with little human disturbance, the department states.
“We've got these populations in the western states, but they're needing to find new areas to establish territories and home ranges,” he told StateImpact.
A 2019 study from Tufts University shows the species, which was present in most U.S. states before European colonization, is also increasing in population. Data show males are likely leading the expansion by establishing their own home ranges.
The news comes about a month after Senate Bill 1073, authored by Sen. Casey Murdock (R-Felt), was signed into law. The legislation adds a lottery system to the process of acquiring a permit for mountain lion hunting, which is currently not legal except under a provision related to threats to livestock and people.
The bill authorizes the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission to declare an open season on mountain lions, as long as it’s through the lottery system.
Davis said the department is not actively researching the species in Oklahoma, but it hopes to learn more about the cats’ behavior and habitat in the state.
“That's the first step for us to be able to say that we're getting somewhere with a population,” he said.
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