That is the conclusion drawn by Altus Assistant Police Chief Mike Howeth.
"He' pretty well aware of the fact that he's being sought and he's doing his best to stay out of the limelight," Howeth said.
And as long as water and wild prey are plentiful, there isn't a whole lot for Altus residents to worry about.
"Unless he's boxed in back yard where he couldn't escape, he probably wouldn't attack, Howeth said.
Howeth said that a federal trapper will be back in town today to work with Animal Control Supervisor Steve Ross to try to establish the cat's patterns of movement and narrow his roaming area, which has primarily been around the irrigation ditch.
Another sighting Saturday night brought law enforcement out in force, but officers did not locate the animal.
Howeth said there has been no panic and most sightings called in to police have been accurate. He said that not only is the mountain lion unlikely to attack a person, he doesn't seem to be going after small pets, either.
"He's got a lot of other prey -- rabbits and other small animals -- and he's content with staying with that," Howeth said.
He said the state will likely get more involved once there is conclusive confirmation that the animal is a mountain lion and not a bobcat. Howeth said most local authorities are satisfied that the animal is indeed a mountain lion due to the fact that several witnesses have observed its tail, a feature absent on bobcats.
Howeth said sightings mostly occur between 7:30 and 11 p.m., a time period the cat apparently chooses to roam. He suggests that any motorist who sights the animal call 911 from a cell phone and give the dispatcher their location and the direction the animal is moving, but not try to approach the cat.
Though the mountain lion is probably dining well on small wild animals and is unlikely to be a threat until the summer sun makes things dry and prey scarce, Howeth warned that "he is not considered a pet by any means."
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