Mountain Lion Reports in Glasgow Area

Ron Selden

Thursday, September 25, 2008
Wild Things - Region 6

This article was Archived on Saturday, October 25, 2008

Multiple, but as-yet-unconfirmed, reports of mountain lion sightings in and around Glasgow have prompted Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials to ask citizens to keep their eyes open and play it safe.

“We’re certainly not ruling out that there is a mountain lion in the area, but none of the reported sightings have been positively confirmed,” said FWP Region 6 Warden Captain Mike Herman.

Several of the most-recent reported sightings have been in the vicinity of Glasgow High School and the nearby Highland Cemetery. Other reports over the past month have come from near the Stockman Bar in downtown Glasgow and by the Sixth Avenue bridge just west of town. A belated report also was received from along the Milk River south of Nashua.

Possible mountain lion sightings in the Fort Peck area were called in during the summer of 2007, but none of those reports were substantiated, either, Herman said.

Because they are large and unpredictable predators, any problems arising from mountain lions frequenting populated areas or places with high recreational use will be quickly addressed by FWP wardens, he said.

Herman asked that residents call FWP’s Region 6 headquarters in Glasgow at 228-3700 during business hours or local law enforcement after hours and on weekends to report mountain lion sightings.

“FWP will address any and all mountain lion encounters seriously,” Herman said.

Mountain lions, also known as cougars, are considered rare in northeastern Montana. But Herman said the normally shy and solitary predators tend to gravitate toward areas offering brushy cover and abundant deer populations.

Normally, the wild cats will quietly leave an area when confronted by humans. But when habituated to human activity or cornered, the animals can become dangerous, Herman warned.

As a precaution, FWP offers the following tips for being safe around mountain lions:

Stay in groups and make enough noise to prevent surprising a lion. When hiking in lion country, carry a sturdy stick to ward off an aggressive cat;

Never approach a mountain lion. Cougars will normally avoid a confrontation, but be sure to give them a way out;

If you do encounter a lion, stay calm. Talk to the lion in a confident but calm voice;

Pick young children up off the ground immediately. Children tend to frighten easily and their rapid movement may provoke an attack;

Don’t run. Move slowly and back away from the lion slowly. Sudden movement or fleeing behavior can trigger instinctive predatory attacks by lions;

Do not turn your back on the lion. Face the cougar and remain in an upright position;

Do anything you can to enlarge your image. Raise your arms over your head or enlarge your profile with a coat or shirt;

If a lion behaves aggressively, do everything possible to protect yourself. Many people have survived lion attacks by fighting back with rocks, sticks, bare fists and even fishing rods.