Wildlife & Encounters

What's new this year

Nothing about staying safe has changed — the advice is the same as it ever was. But a few current numbers are worth knowing, so here they are.

First, the reassuring part: nothing about staying safe has changed. Give animals space, don't feed them, and make the call when something goes wrong. What follows is just the latest count or context on a few things people ask about.

Black bears

Missouri is home to about 1,100 black bears.

They are mostly in the southern half of the state and expanding northward.

Ticks & alpha-gal

Missouri is a high-risk state for several tick-borne diseases.

Alpha-gal syndrome is an allergy to mammal products — beef, pork, lamb, and often dairy and gelatin, but NOT poultry or fish — triggered by Lone Star tick bites. It's increasingly diagnosed in Missouri.

Mountain lions

Still rare visitors, with no breeding population.

There have been more than 100 confirmed cases since 1994, and fewer than 1% of reports have enough evidence to confirm. Confirmed sightings continue, but a mountain lion in Missouri is a passing traveler, not a resident.

CWD in deer

Chronic wasting disease still shapes some local deer rules.

This is a deer-health issue, not a human-safety one. It mostly matters if you hunt or feed deer, and the current rules live on the Hunting hub.

Before you act

Missouri Porch explains; the experts decide.

Last checked: 2026-06-18. Animal facts and wildlife rules change — and a bite, sting, or exposure is a medical question, not a website question. When in doubt, make the call.

This is general information, not medical or legal advice. For a bite, exposure, or emergency, call your doctor, your county health department, Poison Control (1-800-222-1222), or 911. For wildlife rules, check with MDC.

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