The City of North Newton reported a mountain lion sighting late Monday night near the north end of town. According to a Facebook post, a resident saw the cougar entering the woods near the I-135 onramp. No photos or videos were provided.

Mountain lion sightings are uncommon in south-central Kansas. The first documented sighting in nearby Wichita occurred in May 2021 and was captured on camera, with multiple reports following that spring.

The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks advises avoiding contact with mountain lions. If a confrontation is unavoidable, they recommend appearing larger and making loud noises to scare the animal away. In the rare event of an attack, unlike with bears, you should fight back using whatever means available.