Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism won’t confirm mountain lion sighting

Kansas wildlife officials are trying to reassure the public after a reported sighting of a mountain lion about 15 miles north of Topeka.

A woman taking a predawn walk Friday reported seeing a mountain lion near Main Street in Rossville.

On Monday, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism told WIBW-TV that the agency has not confirmed the sighting.

As for reports that a ranger found a paw print on the south side of Rossville, the agency says it’s not sure if the print was made by a mountain lion. It also says rangers don’t confirm sightings unless there’s a photo, fur or some other piece of evidence.

A department spokesman says the agency gets hundreds of reports of mountain lion sightings each year, and roughly 99 percent are false.