Mountain Lion Spotted in Dallas Suburb – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department confirms a mountain lion has been spotted in Frisco, near Lake Lewisville.

The lion was captured on surveillance camera footage and reported to the State Parks Department on November 4th.

A Frisco resident, Brent Blackwell, said he woke up Friday morning to an alarm on his security camera system and reported the incident to the city of Frisco and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), who confirmed the incident.

“Usually it's not a big deal because rabbits (or dogs) usually get sprayed by skunks,” Blackwell said. “I played the video and zoomed in. That startled me and woke me up very quickly.”

Blackwell said it was the size of the animal's tail that made him uncomfortable.

“That’s when I kind of realized it wasn’t a bobcat,” Blackwell said.

The animal's tail is about 60 cm long. In the video, the mountain lion turns its body around and looks around the backyard for about ten seconds before leaving the backyard.

Blackwell posted the short video on his neighborhood page. He said his neighbors were concerned about the safety of their pets and children.

“No one saw it during the day and hopefully we didn’t either. Hopefully it continued and we don’t see it,” Blackwell said.

According to Sam Kieschnick, urban wildlife biologist with TPWD, the mountain lion is unlikely to return.

Experts advise surrounding communities to remain vigilant and not panic.

“If it comes at you, you want to make sure you look like an aggressive organism,” Kieschnick said. “So the best thing to do is fight back, make loud noises and look as big as possible.”

TPWD is monitoring the area and residents are asked to report any sightings to local wildlife biologist Rachel Richter.

“It is likely that this mountain lion is just passing through and will not remain in the area for an extended period of time,” Frisco police said in a news release.

In 2020, several mountain lion sightings were reported in Collin and Dallas counties, including an incident in Rowlett where a mountain lion was recorded on a trail camera. Biologists said at the time that they suspected the mountain lion was most likely a transient young male, passing through and looking for a “home territory, a place to establish itself.”

The parks department previously said mountain lions are more common in the Trans-Pecos area, west of the Pecos River in far West Texas, but can be found throughout the state.

Mountain lions are crepuscular, generally appearing at dusk, shy and timid, and rarely come into conflict with humans. Experts said it's unusual to see a mountain lion, and it's even more unusual to see it a second time.

Attacks on humans are extremely rare. In North America, fewer than 30 fatal mountain lion attacks on humans have been confirmed in the last 100 years. There is no record of a confirmed fatal attack by a wild mountain lion on a person in Texas.

If you live in areas where mountain lions may be active, TPWD recommends residents not allow children and small pets to play outside unsupervised. The department offered tips if someone encounters a mountain lion:

• Immediately pick up all children from the floor.
• DO NOT approach the lion
• Stay calm. Speak calmly and move slowly.
• Face the lion and remain in an upright position.
• Don't turn your back on the lion. Go back slowly.
• DO NOT run.
• Do whatever you can to enlarge your image. DO NOT crouch or try to hide
• If the lion is aggressive, throw stones, sticks, or anything you can get your hands on.
• If the lion attacks, defend yourself. Resistance can drive away lions.

Mountain lions are known by many names, including cougars, cougars, panthers, painters and catamounts. TPWD describes the cats as tall and slim, with a small head and a noticeably long tail. Its fur is a light, yellow-brown color that can appear gray or almost black depending on lighting conditions. The mountain lion's body can be up to 4 feet long, with a tail 2 to 3 feet long. They can grow up to 2 feet tall and weigh between 70 and 170 pounds.

For more information about mountain lions in Texas, click here.