Mountain Lion Spotted Roaming Around Hiawatha

If you've seen the recent trending video of the hiking trail guy being chased by a cougar, you may want to watch it again to get a few more pointers on how to safely retreat.

Because there are reports from Hiawatha of a mountain lion roaming around the neighborhood of Miller Rd near Litchfield Drive.

According to a recent post on the Farmer's Daughter Facebook page, the owners of the store reported the sighting of a mountain lion near the store on Miller Road on Saturday October 10.

It may sound crazy to think you could run into a mountain lion in Hiawatha, but don't  assume it's impossible or even something of a rare occurrence.

In May 2019 we reported that Des Moines police confirmed stories of a big cat in their neck of the woods.

So while it is unlikely, it happens often enough to be aware of your surroundings.

The Farmer's Daughter post said the big cat was seen around 7:30 a.m. on Saturday.  The post also mentioned that the cat was spotted again near Interstate 380. Reports that Hiawatha Police confirmed the sighting were not corroborated by the Hiawatha Police on Wednesday.

According to the Iowa DNR, there have been 27 mountain lion sightings that have been confirmed in Iowa since 1995. They are nocturnal creatures by nature.

Police do warn residents to be observant and to stay safe. But if you can safely get a photo or video, do so. That it will help confirm the sighting, and help DNR officials in their tracking, capture and safe removal of the animal.