How Many Mountain Lions Are in Wyoming?

We cover the occasional mountain lion story here in Wyoming. Because Colorados booming population there are more encounters down there than up in Wyoming.

The mountain lion population here in Wyoming was suffering until conservation efforts allowed the big cat to make a comeback.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department does not publish an official population count, but current estimates suggest there are approximately 2,000 adult mountain lions in Wyoming.

We call them mountain lions, but they can be found statewide. They don't just stay up in the mountains. A few years ago, one was caught in a Cheyenne neighborhood sleeping under a bush in somebody's backyard.

According to Wyoming Game & Fish, Mountain lions in Wyoming are most commonly found in rocky, steep, and forested terrain, particularly in the Bighorn Mountains, the Wind River Range, the Black Hills region in the northeast, and around Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. They prefer habitats with dense brush, canyons, and steep ridges that provide cover for hunting prey like deer and elk

Some live up in the Laramie range. On occasion, a mom and her cubs have been spotted, at night, down in Casper. It's usually during the winter, and she is looking for food off of the mountains. A 2019–2023 study by Wyoming researchers tracked 26 mountain lions in the Laramie Mountain area.

By comparison, Colorado has more people, but also more mountain lions. Colorado is home to an estimated 3,800 to 4,400 independent (adult) mountain lions, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW). These predators have a robust population, with the highest densities found along the Front Range and throughout the Western Slope.