FRISCO, Texas — Not long ago, Brent Blackwell noticed animals were tearing up his back lawn, so he decided to have cameras installed.
"I have cameras because this area was getting kind of eaten," he said.
A new camera quickly revealed rabbits were to blame. Friday morning when his phone went off, Blackwell figured they had come back yet again.
"Woke up, saw the notification that something had went off on the camera and started checking the video and was a little shocked," he told WFAA.
Instead of a rabbit, Blackwell saw a mountain lion in his backyard.
"Initially I thought it was a bobcat, then zoomed in and saw the long tail."
Blackwell said he sent the video of the long-tailed creature to the Department of Parks and Wildlife which confirmed it was a mountain lion. He said they asked him to measure the height of his fence, which the mountain lion was seen standing in front of, so they could gauge its size.
Since the mountain lion would’ve had to jump his fence, Blackwell said he couldn’t understand why it was in his yard.
"I was asking them and wondering like, typically you wouldn’t think it would jump the fence and come back? So, I was asking them if [the mountain lion] was smelling my dogs or something?" Blackwell explained.
"And they said, 'No go back and watch the video,' which I had like 20 times," he continued.
"And never had seen this! She said to zoom in on the bottom right, and you can see like a little rabbit!"
The mountain lion likely chased one of the neighborhood rabbits into Blackwell's yard, he said, which survived by hiding quietly behind his pool equipment.
"I guess the luckiest rabbit in the world right now," he chuckled.
The Department of Parks and Wildlife confirmed the sighting and released the following statement to WFAA:
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) recently confirmed security camera footage of a mountain lion in western Frisco, near Lake Lewisville. The sighting was reported to TPWD on Monday, Nov. 4. TPWD is actively monitoring the area, but residents are asked to please report any additional mountain lion sightings to local biologists. It is likely that this mountain lion is just passing through and will not stay in the area for an extended period of time.
In Texas, mountain lions are primarily found in the Trans-Pecos and parts of South Texas; however dispersing individuals can move long distances and can show up far from areas with resident populations. Mountain lions rarely create conflict with people. Attacks on people are extremely rare, with fewer than 30 confirmed fatal mountain lion attacks on people in North America in the last 100 years. There are no records of a confirmed fatal attack on a person by a wild mountain lion in Texas.
What to do if you encounter a mountain lion:
• Pick up all children off the ground immediately.
• Do NOT approach the lion
• Stay calm. Talk calmly and move slowly.
• Face the lion and remain in an upright position.
• Do not turn your back on the lion. Back away slowly.
• Do NOT run.
• Do all you can to enlarge your image. Do NOT crouch down or try to hide
• If the lion is aggressive, throw rocks, sticks, or anything you can get your hands on.
• If the lion attacks, fight back. Fighting back can drive off lions.
Report mountain lion sightings and encounters to TPWD DFW Urban Wildlife Biologist, Rachel Richter, at Rachel.Richter@tpwd.texas.gov.