OSAGE COUTNY, Okla. — The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) has confirmed reports of two separate mountain lions observed with kittens in different regions of the state.

Photos were taken in October 2024 in Osage County of an adult mountain lion with two half-grown kittens. Another photo of an adult was taken in December 2024 with three smaller kittens. 

“While exciting and interesting, these sightings are just one small piece of the puzzle needed to better understand this species,” said Jerrod Davis, furbearer biologist for the Wildlife Department. “It’s our first piece of evidence that mountain lions may be breeding in Oklahoma, a key indicator the population is becoming established. That two female mountain lions have established at least part of their territories in Oklahoma is a direct reflection of a healthy ecosystem.

“It could open the door for potential research. Our first focus should be evaluating the abundance and distribution of mountain lions in the state. We’ve been confirming sightings through our online reporting process for more than 20 years and may deploy more intensive camera arrays. Depending on those surveys, further research may be possible.”

These groups show the first ODWC-confirmed instances of possible reproduction of mountain lions within the state, but the Wildlife Department has confirmed 85 sightings of individuals since 2002, with an uptick in confirmed sightings in 2023. It is important to note that some of these sightings could be of the same individual. This upward trend has also been observed by states in the Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Before the photographic evidence of kittens in Oklahoma, biologists concluded that the numerous tracks, photos, and road-killed animals of different ages and both sexes documented in the state were of transient individuals. The closest established populations are in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, and Nebraska.

Mountain lion sightings may be reported here. Photographs of tracks are most easily identified when a ruler or size reference is placed next to the track for scale.

Mountain lions are able to reproduce at two years of age, and most females reproduce in alternate years with an average litter size of three. Kittens can be born in any month, but the birth period is often timed to correspond with that of ungulates, hoofed herbivore mammals, which serve as the lions’ prey.  Kittens are weaned after two to three months but may remain with the female for two years.

In Oklahoma, mountain lions have been classified as a game species with a closed hunting season since 1957. But a 2007 law allows for the killing of mountain lions depredate livestock or when people are threatened. To date, only one mountain lion has been killed under this provision. In the event a mountain lion is taken, a Wildlife Department employee must be notified immediately, and the intact carcass, including the hide, must be presented within 24 hours for collection of biological information.