‘Too close for comfort’: Mountain lion caught on cameras in Lancaster County

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A mountain lion was roaming in Bennet early Sunday morning.

A camera picked it up in town as it walked through driveways around 1:45 a.m.

Then, the cougar moved east, near 176th Street and Bennet Road.

Shelby Schomerus said her dog wouldn’t stop barking, so she got up to check their trail camera.

“Sure enough, the mountain lion pulled up right at the same time,” she said.

Schomerus said it appeared that the animal was stalking something.

She has never seen a mountain lion in the area before.

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Sgt. Chad Bryant with the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office said it’s rare to have a confirmed sighting.

“Very rare,” he said. “We don’t get a lot of confirmed mountain lions. We get a lot of reports of them, but a lot of the times, people are confusing bobcats, which we have a lot more of here, with a mountain lion.”

Deputies found large paw prints in the mud but did not find the mountain lion.

Schomerus said it’s concerning to know how close it got.

“The tree line is maybe 50 yards from our house, and our kids’ playground is maybe 20 yards from where our trail camera is, so it’s just too close for comfort,” she said. “We’ve always grown up on an acreage in the country, so we know they’re out here. You just don’t expect one to show up in your back yard.”

Bryant said if you encounter a mountain lion, don’t run.

“Just walk away,” he said. “Don’t pull your cellphone out and go, ‘This is going on Instagram.’ Walk away, don’t run because that imitates their prey when you run.”

This is Lancaster County’s first confirmed mountain lion sighting known to Channel 8 since 2022, when one was seen in Lincoln city limits.

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