A mountain lion was filmed on a trail camera recently as it tried to catch spawning rainbow trout in Montana’s Blackfoot River. It was a surprising find for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials.

“I’ve never heard of a mountain lion fishing,” MFWP Bear Manager Jamie Jonkel told the Missoulian. “This may be the only time in Montana that I know of where it’s been documented.”

“It’s just not something you hear about,” MFWP Fisheries Biologist Ladd Knotek told the Missoulian. “It’s extremely rare.”

Jonkel said the behavior was probably an opportunistic learned behavior that is limited to a single mountain lion or a family.

“It’s no different than one guy figuring he can get half a cigarette from an ashtray if he goes there every day,” Jonkel said. “It definitely knows what it’s doing. And it’s a unique thing and kind of a wonderful thing we’re able to capture.”

The infrared videos from the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (Region 2) Facebook page are posted below. The first shows a mountain lion pouncing into the water and the second clip shows the lion with a trout in its mouth.

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