Photo: EZEQUIEL BECERRA / AFP / Getty Images
The Lancaster County Sheriff's Office confirms a mountain lion was sighted in the Bennet, Nebraska area.
Deputies say home surveillance and game cameras captured photos and video of the mountain lion between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. Sunday.
Based on the times of those sightings, it was moving east and away from Bennet.
Deputies are keeping an eye out, but no additional sightings are reported.
The Sheriff's Office has released a fact sheet that says, although sightings are rare, mountain lions are present in Nebraska.
Mountain lions can travel great distances in search of food.
Their diet is typically made up of deer and other small mammals.
Lancaster County residents should keep the following mountain lion safety tips in mind:
- Do not leave unattended food outside.
- Do not leave small pets outside alone.
- Keep children close to you. Do not allow children to play along riverbanks, in heavy vegetation, or alone at dawn or dusk.
- If you encounter a mountain lion, the goal is to convince it that you are not prey and may be dangerous by following these tips:
- Do not approach a mountain lion.
- Do not crouch or bend over.
- Do all you can to appear larger.
- Fight back if attacked.
(Picture from Getty Images)