VAN BUREN, Mo. (AP) - Mountain lion sightings are on the rise in Missouri, with the latest in Carter County in the southern part of the state.
The Missouri Department of Conservation has confirmed a mountain lion on the Peck Ranch Conservation Area. A motion-activated camera took a picture of the animal on Feb. 2, showing the mountain lion walking away from what officials say is the carcass of an elk.
The conservation department receives hundreds of calls about mountain lion sightings but has confirmed just 39 since 1994. However, 27 of the confirmed sightings have occurred since 2011.