NORMAN, OK – Oklahoma continues to see periodic mountain lion sightings, with a total of 81 confirmed reports since 2002.
These elusive predators, once native to the state, have been sporadically confirmed through photographs, trail cameras, and occasional encounters with motorists.
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation has documented various sightings, including one of the earliest confirmations in McClain County in 2002, when a male mountain lion was struck by a motorist on I-35. The state has since experienced a series of verified reports, including a trail camera photograph taken in Osage County on January 3, 2024.
Despite the increase in sightings, there is no evidence of a stable breeding population in Oklahoma.
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The majority of confirmed mountain lions are believed to be transient males dispersing from breeding populations in neighboring states such as South Dakota and Colorado, according to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.