Nature Lab

Mountain Lion Detection

Making Sense of the Evidence

Mountain lions are extirpated in Missouri, but in 1994 MDC confirmed the first mountain lion in the state since 1927. It’s the job of MDC’s Large Carnivore Response Team (LCRT) to field reports from the public and confirm which ones are truly mountain lions. The majority have no supporting evidence or turn out to be something else — bobcats, house cats, coyotes, or even hoaxes. In 28 years, only 87 reports have been confirmed as lions.

Most confirmations come from photos. When LCRT staff investigate, they go to the area a photo was taken and attempt to confirm that the picture is that of a lion. Some reports may have other types of evidence, such as scat, hair, tracks, or a lion-killed deer or elk. Whenever possible, staff collect samples for DNA testing.

“When we find a suspected lion-killed deer, we look for bite grip marks on the deer’s throat and swab that area to pick up saliva,” explains Conservation Agent Brad Hadley.

Getting quality DNA from scat or saliva left in the wounds of a lion-killed animal is challenging because DNA degrades with exposure to sunlight and precipitation, and if scavengers feed on a carcass, their DNA gets mixed in. Sometimes samples yield no results.

“Opportunities to collect DNA are limited,” says MDC State Furbearer and Black Bear Biologist Laura Conlee. “Although only 20 percent of our confirmations have had potential DNA, the samples we collect are still giving us pieces of information about lions coming through Missouri.”

No breeding has been documented in Missouri. “Mountain lions can travel very long distances when they disperse, and current evidence indicates that lions here are just passing through,” says Conlee.

Mountain Lion DNA Evidence at a Glance

Genetic samples are analyzed by the U.S. Forest Service’s National Genomics Center. DNA is compared to reference samples in a national database.

Depending on sample quality, DNA can tell us:

• If it is from a mountain lion (lowest quality)
• If lion is male or female
• Probable population of origin
• If the lion has been detected elsewhere (highest quality)

Results from DNA so far:

• Only 1 female lion has been detected in MO
• Lions are coming from western states, most often the Black Hills region
• Only one lion has been detected more than once in MO