The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department confirmed two mountain lion sightings this week.
Because of their rarity in North Texas, state wildlife officials said they think both sightings near Lewisville Lake were of the same animal.Mountain lions are not common in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, said Rachel Richter, an urban wildlife biologist for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The agency started formally tracking mountain lion sightings in the state in the early 1990s, Richter said.
“Mountain lions were historically found in north and central Texas, but they have been extirpated from the area, and they’re not really found here anymore,” Richter said.The pair of sightings recently confirmed by Texas wildlife officials this week were the first for Denton County, but they were not the first for the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
If someone does encounter a mountain lion, however, it’s important to stay calm, Richter said. “Don’t approach it, and if you have small pets or kids with you, you want to pick them up,” she added. People should not run or turn their back on the animal. They should keep their gaze on the animal and back away slowly. If the animal acts aggressively, people should try to “look big” by waving their arms and do anything in their power, including yelling and throwing objects, to scare the animal away. If a lion attacks, people should fight back, and they should not play dead, according to Texas wildlife authorities.
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