Mountain Lion sightings around DFW ? (Dallas, Plano: house, living, shops)

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by Rakin

I live on the Trinity River Forest - Campion Trail in Irving and grew up in FW. I've seen a fox, hogs, bobcats, coyotes but never in my 60+ years in DFW seen a Mountain Lion. They stay mostly in the Hill Country and out toward Possum Kingdom Lake area west.

FT Worth has a nickname "Panther City" cause years ago there would occasionally be a rare black Panther seen in the city.

Mountain Lions would be very uncommon in the Metro city. They don't like people.

Black panther, you mean like a black version of mountain lion ? Nah, don't think so.
There's black leopards and black jaguars but not black pumas or mountain lions.

[Brookside]

I tried to report a sighting in Plano a few years ago. I didn’t have a photo, so no proof, and my claims were dismissed with a short, “There are no mountain lions in Plano.” Here is what I saw:

One summer morning, I was riding my bike on the section of the Bluebonnet trail that passes through Jack Carter park (the pool was still shut down) around 9-10 am. Spring Creek passes through the park, and there was a lot of dense, brushy vegetation around the creek. It was a Sunday morning, so the park was deserted.

There is a housing area west of the park. As I rode my bike south-ish, I saw a large animal loping away from the houses across the street, headed toward the creek. It was a good 50-75 feet in front of me, and I braked immediately and stopped to watch it.

This creature was *large.* Now, I have seen bobcats quite a few times - hanging around my pool in my backyard as a matter of fact — and this animal was MUCH larger than a bobcat, and its tail was much too long. It was gray-ish tan in color.

Yet it looked like a cat — round head, pointed ears, and a long, thick, curved tail. I briefly considered whether it might be a dog ... but there was something about the sleek, graceful power of its stride that just didn’t register as “dog.”

I did a fast, mental calculation of what *other* species this creature could be, and right as my brain spit out “mountain lion?” , the creature disappeared into the dense brush.

I parked my bike, and walked slowly to the edge of the creek where I had seen it disappear. I didn’t really want to chase it ... the creek bank slopes downward, and there were a lot of brambles and probably poison ivy. But I did want a second look if possible.

I made my way slowly to the edge of the creek bank and peered through the trees and brushes. It was still there, standing, head down, and was pawing at something (I’m thinking it had perhaps caught a rabbit or squirrel and was eating it). I had a clear view of its hindquarters and saw its huge paws, muscular haunches and that thick, long, curved tail again.

That was confirmation enough for me, and as I really did not want to engage a mountain lion — ! — I backed away, hopped on my bike and headed home.

I told my husband excitedly, and we started googling “mountain lion sightings Collin County.” Apparently there have been a few sightings, but most are unsubstantiated.

I fervently regret that I didn’t have a camera with me. I now carry it in a little backpack whenever I ride, but alas, no more sightings.

[Brookside]

Originally Posted by Rakin

I live on the Trinity River Forest - Campion Trail in Irving and grew up in FW. I've seen a fox, hogs, bobcats, coyotes but never in my 60+ years in DFW seen a Mountain Lion. They stay mostly in the Hill Country and out toward Possum Kingdom Lake area west.

FT Worth has a nickname "Panther City" cause years ago there would occasionally be a rare black Panther seen in the city.

Mountain Lions would be very uncommon in the Metro city. They don't like people.

Respectfully Rakin:

Mountain lions have been cohabiting with and around people in Los Angeles (a metro area larger even than DFW) for *years.* And they can roam for miles. In fact, a lone male lion apparently crossed the 101 freeway and took up residence in Griffith Park — which is visited by thousands of people every week. It has been spotted on the streets of the surrounding neighborhood (Los Feliz) many times.

Here is an article:

https://www.newyorker.com/tech/eleme...on-los-angeles

[Im Lost]

Originally Posted by Brookside

Respectfully Rakin:

Mountain lions have been cohabiting with and around people in Los Angeles (a metro area larger even than DFW) for *years.* And they can roam for miles. In fact, a lone male lion apparently crossed the 101 freeway and took up residence in Griffith Park — which is visited by thousands of people every week. It has been spotted on the streets of the surrounding neighborhood (Los Feliz) many times.

Here is an article:

https://www.newyorker.com/tech/eleme...on-los-angeles

Unfortunately, that Griffith Park mountain lion was found dead last year.... do not remember the cause. Think it might have been a car or something.

[Im Lost]

Originally Posted by Brookside

I tried to report a sighting in Plano a few years ago. I didn’t have a photo, so no proof, and my claims were dismissed with a short, “There are no mountain lions in Plano.” Here is what I saw:

One summer morning, I was riding my bike on the section of the Bluebonnet trail that passes through Jack Carter park (the pool was still shut down) around 9-10 am. Spring Creek passes through the park, and there was a lot of dense, brushy vegetation around the creek. It was a Sunday morning, so the park was deserted.

There is a housing area west of the park. As I rode my bike south-ish, I saw a large animal loping away from the houses across the street, headed toward the creek. It was a good 50-75 feet in front of me, and I braked immediately and stopped to watch it.

This creature was *large.* Now, I have seen bobcats quite a few times - hanging around my pool in my backyard as a matter of fact — and this animal was MUCH larger than a bobcat, and its tail was much too long. It was gray-ish tan in color.

Yet it looked like a cat — round head, pointed ears, and a long, thick, curved tail. I briefly considered whether it might be a dog ... but there was something about the sleek, graceful power of its stride that just didn’t register as “dog.”

I did a fast, mental calculation of what *other* species this creature could be, and right as my brain spit out “mountain lion?” , the creature disappeared into the dense brush.

I parked my bike, and walked slowly to the edge of the creek where I had seen it disappear. I didn’t really want to chase it ... the creek bank slopes downward, and there were a lot of brambles and probably poison ivy. But I did want a second look if possible.

I made my way slowly to the edge of the creek bank and peered through the trees and brushes. It was still there, standing, head down, and was pawing at something (I’m thinking it had perhaps caught a rabbit or squirrel and was eating it). I had a clear view of its hindquarters and saw its huge paws, muscular haunches and that thick, long, curved tail again.

That was confirmation enough for me, and as I really did not want to engage a mountain lion — ! — I backed away, hopped on my bike and headed home.

I told my husband excitedly, and we started googling “mountain lion sightings Collin County.” Apparently there have been a few sightings, but most are unsubstantiated.

I fervently regret that I didn’t have a camera with me. I now carry it in a little backpack whenever I ride, but alas, no more sightings.

The difficulty with your sighting is the location. And not just because it's miles into the center of a large metro area..... but the fact there isn't really any good animal highways to that location. A mountain lion will follow tree's as it's cover.... which means, creeks and rivers are usually the highways for mountain lions in situations like this.

If you follow Spring Creek to the North.... it begins in the middle of the burbs. No woods anywhere around the beginning source of the creek. So, its reasonable to assume it didn't get there coming from the North.

If you follow Spring Creek to the South, it appears to go for a long while and then hit Collin Creek Mall and disappear and then reappear on the south side of the mall. (Looks like Spring Creek either goes right through the middle of the mall or underneath it..... I don't know ?)

I personally do not think this Mountain Lion came from the Spring Creek animal highway and perhaps instead came down the narrow Blue Bonnet trail corrider that runs east to west and really has no cover in that stretch.... hence it came from the area of High Point Park, in which it does look like there are possibly avenues for the Mountain lion to have come from the North or Southeast directions.

We know that a Mountain Lion's range can be hundreds of square miles and we know they are almost always ranges plentiful with deer or similar prey. Hence, we know that if you saw a Mountain Lion in Plano, it wasn't there permanently.... that small area could not support a Mountain Lion in my opinion. Just passing through.

I don't know. Thanks for sharing your sighting !!

[Jeohnny]

I saw one in downtown dallas last week

[elan]

Originally Posted by Jeohnny

I saw one in downtown dallas last week

A two legged cougar perhaps, lol.

[NoClueWho]

Are There Mountain Lions In The Dallas/Fort Worth Area? – DFW Urban Wildlife

[Brookside]

Originally Posted by Im Lost

Unfortunately, that Griffith Park mountain lion was found dead last year.... do not remember the cause. Think it might have been a car or something.

Nope - P-22 is alive & well and has his own Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/P22mountainlion

https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/nature/p-22.htm

It was P-23 - a female - that was killed (sadly).

[Brookside]

Originally Posted by Im Lost

The difficulty with your sighting is the location. And not just because it's miles into the center of a large metro area..... but the fact there isn't really any good animal highways to that location. A mountain lion will follow tree's as it's cover.... which means, creeks and rivers are usually the highways for mountain lions in situations like this.

If you follow Spring Creek to the North.... it begins in the middle of the burbs. No woods anywhere around the beginning source of the creek. So, its reasonable to assume it didn't get there coming from the North.

If you follow Spring Creek to the South, it appears to go for a long while and then hit Collin Creek Mall and disappear and then reappear on the south side of the mall. (Looks like Spring Creek either goes right through the middle of the mall or underneath it..... I don't know ?)

I personally do not think this Mountain Lion came from the Spring Creek animal highway and perhaps instead came down the narrow Blue Bonnet trail corrider that runs east to west and really has no cover in that stretch.... hence it came from the area of High Point Park, in which it does look like there are possibly avenues for the Mountain lion to have come from the North or Southeast directions.

We know that a Mountain Lion's range can be hundreds of square miles and we know they are almost always ranges plentiful with deer or similar prey. Hence, we know that if you saw a Mountain Lion in Plano, it wasn't there permanently.... that small area could not support a Mountain Lion in my opinion. Just passing through.

I don't know. Thanks for sharing your sighting !!

I’m Lost. - thanks for the kind, thoughtful reply. Most folks who hear this story roll their eyes (at best) or attack my credibility, eyesight, and power to recall details. 🙃

I’ve stopped feeling defensive about it, but neither will I give in to assertions that “..it must have been a bobcat,” etc. It was too big! And its (curved) tail was too long.

Just from reading about the LA mountain lions, I know they roam far and wide - especially males - and have the ability to navigate across heavy traffic. I don’t think it is a huge leap to consider that a male born in an area of known, documented sightings (i.e. Glen Rose) could navigate eastward .. looking for females and habitat.

Def do not believe he set up housekeeping in Plano, though. 😄 Just passin’ through ....