State downplays rumors of mountain lion attacks

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The Missouri Department of Conservation is practicing animal rumor control lately, trying to squelch stories of mountain lions roaming Boone County.

But a veterinarian who has run a practice in Columbia for 32 years is convinced that the big cats -- also known as pumas, cougars, panthers and painters -- are roaming the mid-Missouri county.

"People have been seeing them for years -- people who have no reason to lie about it. It's no wonder and amazement when they do get close to domesticated animals," John Parker said, adding he has seen five animals in the last five years he believed were attacked by cougars.

Tom Hutton, a conservation department field supervisor, said recent reports that two horses in southern Boone County were attacked late this summer by cougars are probably false.

"I found no evidence to support such claims," said Hutton, who examined Buster, a 1,250-pound horse, about a week after he was injured in September. "Although I can't completely rule out that a cat did the damage, the possibility is extremely small."

While reports of cougar sightings are not uncommon in Missouri, Hutton said there have been only five confirmed cougar sightings in the state in the last seven years.

Cougars are stealthy animals known for their size and hunting skills.

Although they prefer possums, raccoons, deer and other wild game, they have been known to attack livestock and, rarely, humans.