The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has confirmed an overnight mountain lion sighting in Des Moines.
But how rare is it for a mountain lion to be spotted in the state?
There have been numerous sightings and reports of mountain lions throughout Iowa history.
The last confirmed sighting of a mountain lion in Polk County was in October 2012.
The DNR classifies as a mountain lion as a “very large, slender cat with a small head, small rounded ears that are not tufted, very powerful shoulders and hindquarters, and a long, heavy, cylindrical tail. Adults are 6 -9 feet in length including the tail which is 2½ -3 feet in length. Males weigh 140 -160 pounds and females weigh 90 -110 pounds. The mountain lion is grizzled gray to cinnamon tawny brown in color , and the last 2 inches of the tail are black.”
