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Kansas Mountain Lion Sighting Confirmed

Mountain lion
(USDA National Wildlife Research Center media archives)
Mountain lion

WaKeeney, KS – The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks says its staff have verified that a big cat photographed by the hunter northwest of WaKeeney was a mountain lion. The agency says it's the first documentation of a live, wild mountain lion in the state.

In a statement Tuesday, the department said the hunter was in a tree stand when the mountain lion appeared near a pile of corn. The hunter took multiple photos as the lion approached within 10 feet of the stand and looked up before moving out of sight.

The agency didn't say when the encounter occurred. The mountain lion's origin is unknown.

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