Outside of dramatic severe weather coverage, sensationalized crime reports and sappy, heartwarming human interest stories that pander to our primitive emotions, there's nothing the Oklahoma media loves more than a good Oklahoma mountain lion sighting.
The most recent one occurred earlier this month. Here's the video footage:
Naturally, the story and footage was picked up by just about everyone in the local media, with the Channel 9 morning team even conducting a live interview with someone from the Oklahoma Wildlife Department about the furry beast.
Anyway, now that we officially average 1.7 mountain lion sightings in Oklahoma per year, the chance of stumbling across this blood-thirsty apex predator is better than ever! As a result, I thought I would dust off our tips on what to do if you discover a mountain lion...
1. Stay calm.
Mountain lions are apex predators, and any sudden movement will make them think you're a wise choice for second breakfast. As a result, don't dart in different directions like a squirrel about to get plowed over by a Honda. Stay calm, breathe, and close your eyes. It will all be over soon.
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2. Slowly reach for your phone.
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3. Tell yourself it's probably just a bobcat.
It probably isn't, but you'd be surprised by the power of mind over matter.
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4. Take a photo of the mountain lion.
Although they can be shy, mountain lions always love posing for a photograph. If you have a ball of yarn, or even a small dog, toss it to the lion to give him or her something to play with, while you take a wide variety of photographs from different angles.
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5. Share the photo on social media and call the local news.
When you do, make sure to turn the privacy options to public. That way, your photograph will reach more people and can be shared with local TV news stations.
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6. Run.
And good luck.
