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Another mountain lion spotted in Plano alleyway

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Published  November 13, 2024 11:00am CST
Plano
FOX 4

Mountain lion captured on video in Plano

The city of Plano shared this video clip of a mountain lion walking through an alleyway in a neighborhood near Big Lake Park on Friday night.

The Brief

    • Texas Parks and Wildlife's urban biologist confirmed another mountain lion sighting on Friday night at a home in Plano.
    • It's not clear if it is the same animal recently spotted in Frisco or Lake Dallas.
    • Experts say mountain lions are extremely rare in North Texas.

PLANO, Texas - There’s been another mountain lion spotting in Collin County.

Plano officials said the animal was captured on a homeowner’s security camera on Friday night in a neighborhood near Spring Creek and Big Lake Park.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologists confirmed the sighting.

Similar sightings were confirmed in Lake Dallas on Oct. 27 and in Frisco on Nov. 1. Both wer near Lake Lewisville.

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Mountain lions can move dozens of miles a day. There’s no established population of mountain lions in North Texas, making this sighting extremely rare.

It’s not clear if it was the same animal in all three locations or if there are multiple mountain lions in North Texas.

"All sightings have been recorded at night and no interactions with people or pets have been documented. It is likely that this mountain lion was just passing through and will not stay in the area for an extended period of time," Plano officials said in a news release.

Future sightings should be reported to TPWD DFW Urban Wildlife Biologist Rachel Richter at rachel.richter@tpwd.texas.gov. 

Are mountain lion sightings in North Texas common?

According to wildlife officials, the recent mountain lion sightings in North Texas are incredibly rare.

There’s no established population of mountain lions in North Texas, but the animals can travel dozens of miles a day.

TPWD urban wildlife biologist Sam Kieschnick said mountain lions are usually only seen in southwest areas of the Lone Star State, like Big Bend. 

"They are inordinately uncommon. But they have a home range of 100-200 miles, square miles. So, in other words, they can roam. They can move around," he said. "It may be looking for a suitable habitat. Probably not going to find the best habitat up here in Dallas- Fort Worth for it to stay. So, hopefully, it is simply moving through."

What to do if you encounter a mountain lion?

Mountain Lion (TPWD)

Kieschnick said there has never been a reported mountain lion attack on a human in Texas. But if you ever encounter one and cannot immediately get to safety, do not run or act intimidated. 

"So, if you see a mountain lion, you want to look as big as possible," Kieschnick advised. "You want to shake your hands. You want to make noise, look like it would take a lot of energy to take you down."

TPWD offered the following suggestions:

  • Pick up all children off the ground immediately.
  • Do NOT approach the lion.
  • Stay calm. Talk calmly and move slowly.
  • Face the lion and remain in an upright position.
  • Do not turn your back on the lion. Back away slowly.
  • Do NOT run.
  • Do all you can to enlarge your image. Do NOT crouch down or try to hide.
  • If the lion is aggressive, throw rocks, sticks, or anything you can get your hands on.
  • If the lion attacks, fight back. Fighting back can drive off lions.