Mountain lion spotted second time in southwest Omaha

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is aware a mountain lion was spotted again July 28 in southwest Omaha.

The mountain lion was documented on video near I-80 and Mockingbird Drive. Authorities from the Omaha Police Department and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission are monitoring the area.

Anyone who observes a mountain lion in person or on video should contact the local police department or Game and Parks immediately.

If encountered, do not approach the mountain lion. Stay calm, back away slowly and get inside your home or car.

Authorities will follow Game and Parks’ Mountain Lion Response Plan to respond; a mountain lion within the limits of a municipality will be killed if it can safely be done to ensure public safety.

Game and Parks cannot relocate mountain lions for the following reasons:

• Public safety is our top priority.
• Nebraska does not have large tracts of public land with adequate habitat for a lion to be relocated. Nebraska is approximately 98% privately owned, any mountain lion moved could quickly enter private land.
• Zoos typically do not accept adult mountain lions that have lived in the wild; these animals are stressed by people and confinement and do not do well in zoos.
• Tranquilizers can take up to 10 minutes to take effect, and animals often run after being darted. These animals may be difficult or impossible to relocate, and may cross into traffic or highly populated areas in a partially drugged state.

Game and Parks reminds people that mountain lion attacks are rare.

Find more information about mountain lions in Nebraska, how to report observing one, and additional tips for what to do if you encounter one at OutdoorNebraska.gov.

Updated: 5:09 p.m. July 28, 2023, to Mockingbird Drive.