Have you ever seen a mountain lion?

[HAnnA MArin County]

I'm fascinated by these creatures. Their sightings have been increasing in Missouri, mostly in the southwestern quadrant of the state. From what I've gathered, there's an established population in the Black Hills region of South Dakota and DNA testing has shown that this is where most of the ones that have been killed in Missouri originated. Virtually all of the ones that have been captured and tested for DNA have been transient males, so conservationists aren't worried about them establishing a new population in the state.

There's a lot of misconceptions about these creatures being cold-blooded, vicious predators. You're more likely to be struck by lightning than being attacked by one. I've never seen one but I keep holding out hope that one of these days, I will see one.

Has anyone on here actually seen one (in the wild, not in a zoo or confinement)? I'd love to hear about your experiences!