Mountain lion caught on camera in south Tucumcari

A mountain lion was spotted Friday night on Tucumcari’s south side, and the encounter with motorist was captured on cellphone video and shared on social media.

Initial social-media reports indicate the big cat was seen in the 1800 block of South Fourth Street, although the person who shared the video said it was in the 1800 block of South Sixth Street.

In a nighttime video shared by Aries Villegas, a large cat with a long tail was seen trotting and running along the streets and sidewalks of Tucumcari. The video was shot on a cellphone through the window of a driver’s diesel truck.

The 33-second video can be viewed at facebook.com/diamond200000/videos/2389934274595964/

Jamie Luaders, director of the Tucumcari-Quay Regional Emergency Communications Center, said Monday she had no record of an emergency call about the cougar.

A publication by New Mexico Game & Fish states mountain lions or cougars are found in most parts of New Mexico “wherever there is an abundance of prey, rough terrain, and adequate vegetation to provide hunting cover.” They will hunt deer, elk, turkeys, wild sheep and rabbits, mostly at night.

Adult male cougars are larger are up to eight feet long and weigh 150 to 200 pounds. Adult females measure up to long and weigh 90 to 110 pounds.

Paws and Claws Animal Rescue of Quay County urged on its Facebook page that pet owners keep an eye on their animals when they are let outdoors.

A phone message to Clay Moyers, a New Mexico Game & Fish game warden in the region, was not returned before press time.