Mountain Lion Possibly Spotted in Canyon, Texas – Stay Safe!

Texas and mountain lions have a very interesting relationship. Say the words "mountain lion" in any Texas town and you'll find someone in earshot who's more than willing to tell you a story about a time they saw one. They've been spotted in every county in the Lone Star State, and in 2024 they've been spotted on more than one occasion getting closer to towns. This morning, one was supposedly spotted in Canyon, Texas.

Mountain Lions Getting Closer To Town In 2024

Earlier this year, there were news stories about mountain lions appearing within city limits in Texas. There were incidents in Presidio and Laredo that made headlines, and while it's usually incredibly rare to see a mountain lion in person, it's even more rare that they move in on human territory.

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This year also saw changes in how Texans are allowed to hunt mountain lions. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department announced new regulations regarding the hunting and trapping of mountain lions and banned canned hunts. They also announced new regulations aimed at preventing live mountain lions from being left in traps.

This year has been the year of the mountain lion in Texas.

Mountain Lion Sighting In Canyon, Texas This Morning

According to a social media post, the sighting happened around 6:30 AM on August 30. The individual claimed that after dropping their fiance off at work, they spotted what appeared to be a mountain lion in the area around 8th Street near the middle school and Pondeseta Road.

The comment section went wild with people saying they've seen mountain lions in the area and chalking it up to living so close to Palo Duro Canyon. Others were more skeptical, but the more the conversation went on, they began to agree that it sounded like a mountain lion. Others argued it could have been anything from a bobcat to an oversized fox.

As of right now, it remains an unconfirmed sighting of a mountain lion. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department keeps an updated map of confirmed mountain lion sightings across Texas, which you can see at this link. They also have a lot of information on what you should do if you ever come across one.

According to the information available, if you come across a mountain lion you should:

• Pick up small children so they don't run away and provoke the mountain lion into rushing and attacking.
• Do not run or turn your back. Stay calm and keep eye contact with the mountain lion. Slowly back away.
• Make yourself appear bigger by raising your arms or grabbing a stick.
• If it is aggressive, be bold, be firm, speak loudly, and throw rocks and sticks at it.
• If it attacks, don't play dead. Fight back. Mountain lions can be driven off by fighting back.
• Make sure you report aggressive mountain lion behavior.

Hopefully, if this was a mountain lion, it has made its way far away from Canyon, and back out into the wild.