Mountain lion tamer was not in the babysitting job description when fourteen year-old Sheriden Eastman agreed to watch Melanie and Travis Tentinger's children one evening in early December. "It was probably ten o'clock at night," said Eastman, a freshmen at Akron-Westfield High School. "We were watching a movie when all of a sudden the dog started going crazy." Sheriden went to the Tentinger's window to see why the dog was barking. "I looked outside and there it was staring at me!" It was the infamous mountain lion, which has triggered a wisepread concern throughout the northwestern part of Plymouth County during the last few years.

Thanks to the yard light, Sheriden could clearly see what was looking at her through the glass. "It was big, tan, had pointy ears and really freaky eyes," she said. "I knew it was too big to be a cat or a dog." As the cougar continued to watch her in the window, Sheriden stayed still as she was too afraid to move for fear the animal would come at her.

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According to Eastman, the cougar stayed in the area for another forty-five minutes. "I guess I should've taken a picture. But I was too scared to move." Melanie and Travis Tentinger returned home shortly thereafter. Although they have not sighted another mountain lion or trackings since Eastman babysat, Melanie Tentinger commented, "our dead pigs somehow always seem to disappear."

Mountain lion, cougar, cat or puma, they all refer to the same feline species that are making their debut once again in northwest Iowa.

In 2003, a mountain lion was shot in Ireton after a family saw the big cat passing through their field while harvesting. The following year, a cougar was shot in South Sioux City and another was sighted two miles northeast of the Tentinger farm near rural Ireton.

According to the Iowa DNR, before the increase in mountain lion madness, the last historical record of a mountain lion was in Cincinnatti, Iowa in Appanoose County where one was shot in 1867.

Due to urban sprawl, mountain lions compete for food and territory forcing them to move to places such as northwest Iowa, ending up in areas where there is potential to come in contact with people and livestock.

Plymouth County Conservationist, Chad Morrow, says that if people are sighting mountain lions, it's most likely juvenile male cats wandering eastward from the Black Hills. "The Missouri River offers the cats a habitat conducive to what they're used to in the Black Hills," which provides cover and often an abundant food supply of deer to migrating mountain lions. Morrow believes the odds of seeing a cougar are very slim especially during this time of year. "If you do see a cat, chances are you probably won't see one again as they are always migrating to find mates."

Recieving calls from people sighting cougars during the winter months is rare for Morrow but he does receive numerous reports during the spring and summer. Though he says, "ninety-nine percent of all the calls I receive are mistaken for a different species."

Wildlife such as mountain lions continue appearing in backyards, farms and residential areas. Cougars are here to stay in the Midwest, which means Iowans will have to adapt. Yet many fear these felines and are concerned for the safety of people and livestock.

The Iowa DNR gives these tips if encountered with a mountain lion unprotected:

1.) Don't run! This may stimulate the animal's instinct to chase.

2.) Speak to the animal in a large, firm voice so it knows that you are not its prey.

3.) Stand tall, look big, puff up, lift your coat over your shoulders.

4.) Gather children in close and slowly back away keeping your eye on the animal.

5.) If attacked, fight back vigorously with sharp objects and poke the eyes of the animal.

According to the Iowa DNR, there is a greater likelihood of a person being struck by lightning than being attacked by a cougar. But if one does see a mountain lion or its trackings, Chad Morrow recommends contacting your local county conservation officer.

As for Sheriden Eastman, "I haven't babysat since I saw the mountain lion." As for the next time she gets a babysitting gig, she'll be sure to bring her camera with her. Just in case she makes eye contact with another cougar.