Officials with the Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources say an adult male mountain lion was shot and killed early this (Friday) morning by local law enforcement officers in western Iowa’s Monona County. The incident occurred in the City of Blencoe. The Blencoe police chief and a Monona County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to a citizen’s call regarding the mountain lion around midnight. After finding the lion in a tree in the northwest part of town, the officers shot the lion.

The lion will be analyzed to determine its age, what it has been feeding on as well as DNA tests to try and determine its place of origin. The lion will eventually be mounted and used as a display somewhere in Monona County. Iowa law does not provide wildlife protection to mountain lions.

Mountain lion sightings have been documented periodically in Iowa and DNR biologists believe that most of the lions seen here are likely young males that have been pushed from their native areas by older, dominant males. The lion likely came from a state west of Iowa.

Officials say in general, a mountain lion will sense human presence before humans know they are in the area and the mountain lions will quickly vacate the area. Sightings of a mountain lion can be reported to local law enforcement or to DNR conservation officers.