Two Arkansas Women Startled by Encounter with Mountain Lions

Two Arkansas women were hiking at an Arkansas State Park at Hawksbill Crag at Whitaker Point in Newton County late Monday evening when they encountered two mountain lions.

The women had hiked to one of Arkansas' most photographed mountain bluffs in the state Hawksbill Crag at Whitaker Point hoping to get a glimpse of the Perseid Meteor Shower but instead got a glimpse of two mountain lions too close for comfort.

Close Encounter

Karlee Roth and Candy Wilkins of Russellville, Arkansas reported the incident happened between 9:30 PM and 10 PM when they noticed the mountain lions were crouched behind a boulder. They were wearing those headlamps and the light caught the mountain lion's eyes that's when the women decided it was time to leave and get back to their vehicle as reported on a Facebook post. However, that wasn't the end of their ordeal they noticed that the mountain lions were following them back to their vehicle which was a short distance from where they were. At one point they lost track of them they noticed the lions behind some brush crouched about 10 feet from them, according to the Springfield News-Ledger.

The women screamed and yelled hoping that would scare them off but it didn't seem to faze them. The two women were able to get in their vehicle and leave safely but it will be a night they will never forget. After returning home they contacted the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission about the incident.

Can You Kill a Mountain Lion?

The AGFC says the mountain lions are most likely traveling South to Texas or Louisiana. It is illegal to kill a mountain lion unless it is in self-defense. Sightings of mountain lions in Arkansas are very rare over the past 10-15 years there have been a little over 20 confirmed cases reported.

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