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Are there mountain lions in West Virginia?

Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.

On this page
  1. The answer
  2. More official answers
  3. Which ones
  4. Where in the US
  5. Nearest official records
  6. Lookalikes
  7. If you see one
  8. Sources

No.

WVDNR lists the mountain lion as no longer existing in the state and says USFWS considers it extinct there.

WVDNR: “Recently, due to the lack of physical evidence of occurrence, the US Fish and Wildlife Service now considers the mountain lion extinct in West Virginia.” Source

How we answer questions

  • Are there black bears in West Virginia?

    Yes. The black bear is the state animal; WVDNR says encounters are becoming more common. WVDNR

  • Are there coyotes in West Virginia?

    Yes. The 2001 WVDNR checklist says the coyote occurs throughout the state. WVDNR

Related species on West Virginia's list

These are on West Virginia's official list and are related to, or often confused with, mountain lions. They are not the same animal.

Mountain Lion or Cougar
Photo: ArgentinaTurismo · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mountain Lion or Cougar

Puma concolor

Size
Total length 5 to 8.5 feet including a 21 to 37.5 inch tail; males 79 to 265 lb, females 64 to 141 lb (Missouri Department of Conservation).
How to recognize it
  • Very large, slender cat with a small head, small rounded ears without tufts and a long, heavy tail.
  • The tail may be one-third of the total length; much larger than a bobcat or lynx.
  • Tracks: 2.75 to 3.75 inches wide, three lobes at the bottom of the heel pad, claw marks usually absent.
Conservation
Extirpated; WVDNR says USFWS considers it extinct in West Virginia

Full Mountain Lion or Cougar guide

All mammals in the state: West Virginia mammals.

Where the mountain lion lives in the US

Texas: on the state's official listCalifornia: on the state's official listWisconsin: on the state's official listTennessee: on the state's official listNew York: on the state's official listIdaho: on the state's official listFlorida: on an official sourceMontana: on the state's official listMinnesota: on the state's official listMaryland: on the state's official listIowa: on the state's official listNebraska: on the state's official listWashington: on the state's official listSouth Dakota: on the state's official listArkansas: on the state's official listMississippi: on the state's official listColorado: on the state's official listUtah: on the state's official listOklahoma: on the state's official listWyoming: on the state's official listWest Virginia: on the state's official listMassachusetts: on the state's official listNevada: on the state's official listNorth Dakota: on the state's official listRhode Island: on the state's official listMichigan: on the state's official listAlaska: on the state's official listNew Mexico: on the state's official listAlabama: on the state's official listKansas: on the state's official listArizona: on the state's official list
Official presence. 31 states where a state list or official source names it. Gray means no official record in our data, not that it is absent.
  • Native or listed
  • Nonnative or not established
  • No official record in our data
Texas: 9 recordsCalifornia: 325 recordsOregon: 11 recordsNew York: 19 recordsIdaho: 11 recordsFlorida: 15 recordsMontana: 19 recordsOhio: 1 recordNebraska: 792 recordsWashington: 20 recordsSouth Dakota: 3 recordsColorado: 34 recordsUtah: 14 recordsWyoming: 4 recordsNevada: 6 recordsConnecticut: 1 recordNew Mexico: 13 recordsNew Hampshire: 1 recordArizona: 28 records
Observation records. Open-licence records on GBIF in 19 states. Records are sightings people shared, not confirmation that a population lives there.
  • 1–9
  • 10–99
  • 100–999
  • 1,000+

Mountain lion: identification, range and danger

Where official sources do confirm it

Official sources confirm the mountain lion in 6 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, New Mexico and Texas.

What else it could be

  • Bobcat
    Photo: National Marine Sanctuaries · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

    Bobcat

    Bobcats are smaller with short tails and are streaked and spotted with black; mountain lions are uniformly colored with a long tail. Bobcat tracks are under 2 inches wide.

  • Domestic dogs and coyotes (tracks)

    Dog and coyote tracks are symmetrical, show one indent at the bottom of the pad and usually claw marks; mountain lion tracks are asymmetrical with three lobes and usually no claw marks.

  • Misidentified sightings (dogs, house cats, coyotes, bobcats)

    Alabama: reported sightings are likely misidentified dogs, cats, coyotes and bobcats.

When mammals are seen in West Virginia

1,120 records (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY).

If you see one in West Virginia

Keep your distance and do not try to catch or handle it. Report wildlife violations to any WVDNR district office or (844) 484-7367. Report sick or dead wildlife to a local district office. For nuisance wildlife, consult a WVDNR biologist or Natural Resources Police Officer, or hire a licensed Wildlife Damage Control Agent. For pest questions, WVDA Plant Industries Division: (304) 558-2212. No dedicated WVDNR invasive-species sighting line was found. WVDNR

Sources

  1. Mammals. West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR). WordPress modified 2026-07-21; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “Recently, due to the lack of physical evidence of occurrence, the US Fish and Wildlife Service now considers the mountain lion extinct in West Virginia.”
  2. Mammals of West Virginia Field Checklist. West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR). 10/2001; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “The coyote has expanded its range eastward across the Mississippi River and now occurs throughout the Mountain State.”
  3. Basics for Avoiding Human-Bear Conflicts This Spring. West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR). April 7, 2025; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “…as their population expands and human activity continues to grow, encounters between people and black bears are becoming more common”
  4. West Virginia Reptile and Amphibian Regulations (summary). West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR). 05/2023; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “Citizens may report violations to any DNR district office or call (844) 484-7367.”
  5. GBIF.org occurrence records, human observations licensed CC0 1.0 or CC BY 4.0 only, accessed November 3, 2026. The datasets behind these counts are listed on our Sources page.