Bismarck Police officers responded to North Bismarck on Monday, October 26, after receiving a report of an unconfirmed mountain lion sighting in the area, as Super Talk 1270 – Accurate News, Stimulating Talk – Bismarck News Radio reported.
Bismarck Public Schools parents received an unnerving text message regarding the unverified report. Additional details sent in a follow-up email to parents indicated that the big cat was reportedly spotted near Liberty Elementary School.
Following a search of the neighbourhood, Bismarck Police Lieutenant Luke Gardiner stated that no mountain lion was located. Police officials noted that they were unsure whether the witness who placed the call provided a credible report, ultimately characterising the response as a wild mountain lion chase.
While North Dakota is not typically recognized as a primary hotspot for mountain lions, state wildlife records and foundation data indicate that the animals do occasionally make their presence known across all corners of the state. According to information from the Mountain Lion Foundation, the two most likely counties in North Dakota to encounter a mountain lion are McKenzie County and Dunn County, both located in the western portion of the state. The north unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park is specifically known as a location where big cats actively roam and breed, largely due to the rugged terrain of the Badlands providing ample cover that the animals prefer.
Although the majority of reported sightings in the state originate from western North Dakota, mountain lions are known to travel vast distances. As a result of this mobility, individual cats have been documented statewide, including within urban environments. Past records document multiple mountain lion sightings in the Bismarck-Mandan area over the years, including an incident in a residential development located south of Lincoln.
Furthermore, the Missouri River corridor—which encompasses both Burleigh County and Morton County—is recognized as a fringe area where sightings can occur. Local accounts detail encounters along the river basin, including reported sightings on private land and cattail backwaters located south of the University of Mary.
Beyond the Missouri River basin, lesser-known areas for potential sightings include the Red River corridor in eastern North Dakota, primarily across Cass County, Richland County, and Grand Forks County. Wildlife records note that mountain lion sightings in eastern counties remain rare and brief, typically involving individual animals passing through the region.
