Large Mountain Lion Spotted Outside Dallas

In a sight unusual for the northern parts of the Lone Star State, a large mountain lion was spotted outside Dallas in recent weeks. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said Tuesday that it was likely the same mountain lion—an adult male that weighed about 160 pounds—that was legally killed Saturday by a deer hunter.

Meanwhile, wildlife officials and a county sheriff have disagreed on whether a mountain lion could be responsible for the Dec. 3 death of a 28-year-old man in a wooded area near Lipan, located 85 miles west of Dallas. The Hood County Sheriff’s Office said the preliminary finding from the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s office said Christopher Allen Whiteley died from an attack by a wild animal, possibly a mountain lion.

The sheriff’s office has said that it will wait for the final autopsy report but that, for now, they’re standing by the preliminary finding. Wildlife officials said there was no evidence that any wild animal killed Whiteley.

Hood County Justice of the Peace Kathryn Gwinn said it may take as many as three months for the final autopsy to be released. She said the preliminary autopsy showed Whiteley had neck puncture wounds consistent with that of large cat.

For more on the story, check out the original reporting by the Associated Press.