Big cat on the prowl?

A big cat may be prowling around Western Iowa’s Pottawattamie County. Earlier this summer, a mountain lion was believed to have caused the death of one colt and injury to another, near Avoca. Just a few weeks ago, a man who lives about a mile west of Avoca claims he spotted a mountain lion as he went to check on his cattle. Max Klindt says he saw the cat September 3rd as it was sunning itself on a terrace. The animal was described as being bright orange, nine-to-10-inches in diameter, and about two-to-three feet long. Klindt said the creature’s tail was about as long as its body. Another farmer reported hearing a big cat growling along the banks of the Nishnabotna River near Avoca. Sightings of mountain lions in Western Iowa began a couple of years ago, and have increased in frequency throughout the region. The D-N-R says if you think you’ve spotted one of the big cats, or the tracks they’ve left behind, exercise caution and call wildlife authorities.