A rare predator was recently found dead in the northern Arkansas wilderness, raising questions about where it came from and what killed it.
The animal, a mountain lion , was spotted in the Sylamore Wildlife Management Area, in Stone County, the state Game and Fish Commission said in a Feb. 9 news release.
It’s the first time a cougar has been found dead in the state since 2014, when a deer hunter fatally shot a 148-pound male in southern Arkansas, according to officials. Before that, a mountain lion hadn’t been reported killed in the state since 1975.
However, this newly discovered big cat in the Sylamore WMA wasn’t shot, and there’s no evidence it was hit by a car either, officials said. Its cause of death is, at least for now, a mystery.
The 118-pound, 7-foot long male was examined by wildlife experts. The cougar was “extremely thin” with “severely worn, broken and missing teeth,” experts said, and its “stomach was empty.”
“Further examination will involve testing for viruses and toxins,” the Commission said, adding that tissue samples will also be sent out for testing.