Nebraska Sheriff’s Advice After Mountain Lion Seen in Town

Residents in Nebraska are on high alert after surveillance cameras recorded a mountain lion roaming residential areas near Bennet in the southeast of the state in the early morning hours of November 17.
Authorities have issued guidelines to help residents stay safe and know what actions to take if they encounter the predator.
The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the sighting, which occurred approximately one mile east of Bennet, south of 176th and Bennet Road.
The large cat was documented on home surveillance and trail cameras between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. (CST).
The residents who captured the footage were woken by a trail camera notification, which they thought was an owl screeching. After reviewing the footage, they noticed the large animal approximately 50 yards north of one residence.
Large paw prints were later discovered in the mud around the area.
“We live in an area where there are mountain lions that are known to be seen from time-to-time,” Captain John Vik with the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office told local outlet 1011 Now.
“Now sightings are certainly rare, but this is an area that is within their range and they have been seen in the past and they’ll certainly be seen again in the future.”
Newsweek contacted Vik and the sheriff’s office via email outside of work hours for comment.
According to deputies monitoring the situation, the animal appeared to be moving eastward and away from Bennet. No additional sightings have been reported since the initial incident.
While mountain lions typically prey on deer and small mammals, the sheriff’s office has issued several safety precautions for area residents. Keep small pets indoors and supervised; remove outdoor food sources; supervise children closely, especially near riverbanks and heavily vegetated areas; and avoid outdoor activities at dawn and dusk.
If encountered, residents are advised not to run or crouch down, but instead to appear as large as possible and fight back if attacked.
The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office has encouraged residents who discover evidence of mountain lions on their property to report sightings by calling (402) 441-6500.
Mountain lions are known by a number of names, including cougars, pumas, panthers and more.
They are the most wide-ranging cat species in the world, according to the Mountain Lion Foundation, with populations as far north as Canada and as far south as Chile.
Since 1868, there have been 29 fatal mountain lion attacks in the U.S.—0.18 per year on average.
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