Be Careful, Deer Hunters! Rare Mountain Lion Sighting Confirmed In Southwest Arkansas

According to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, there is a mountain lion on the loose in a rural stretch near Amity in Clark County, situated between Texarkana and Hot Springs in Southwest Arkansas.

The animal was caught on a game camera wandering through a heavily wooded area by a hunter who was hunting in the area. This recent sighting adds to a tally of 23 confirmed mountain lion sightings in Arkansas since 2010.

Mountain lions, also known as pumas, panthers, or cougars, are renowned for their reclusive nature, often avoiding human encounters whenever possible. While these creatures were once a common sight in Arkansas until approximately 1920, their presence has become more sporadic.

In a noteworthy incident in 2014, a deer hunter east of Hermitage in Bradley County shot and killed a substantial 148-pound mountain lion.

Myron Means, a large carnivore biologist with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC), emphasizes that mountain lions are not designated as game animals and, therefore, it is illegal to kill them due to the absence of a specific hunting season.

“A limited self-defense exception exists in regulation when a person acts ‘under a good faith belief that he is protecting himself or other persons from imminent bodily harm or serious injury,” Means added.

He also said a research study in 2014 highlighted that traveling from north to south Arkansas in six weeks shows how far and quickly this individual can travel in a short period of time.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission reminds folks if they spot one stay away from it and report it to an official AGFC office.