Texas Parks and Wildlife officials are urging Dallas County residents to be cautious after video footage of a big cat made its rounds on the internet.
The internet is often graced with footage of wandering predators, but rarely is anyone certain of the time or place of the video, let alone the legitimacy of the source.
However, according to a report from NBCDFW.com, wildlife officials have officially confirmed a recent sighting of a mountain lion in Dallas County, Texas, was absolutely real.
The animal made its first appearance in the Rowlett suburb, as local residents Stephanie Higgins and Logan Aduddell's trail camera captured video footage of the mountain lion strolling through the Dalrock area between Highway 66 and Miller Road.
Watch the video below:
While biologists believe the mountain lion is only a juvenile male passing through as it looks for an area to establish itself, they're urging all nearby residents to take caution.
"One key thing to keep in mind is mountain lions are a component of the natural landscape in many parts of Texas, and unless they are in what we would consider a no-tolerance zone such as near a school, or if the lion exhibited threatening behavior, then there's really no action they would consider taking," TPWD's Megan Radke said.
Even though an encounter with a mountain lion is particularly rare, since mountain lions primarily move and hunt at night, locals should still be on the lookout. If you encounter a mountain lion, throw rocks and make loud noises to intimidate the animal, but whatever you do, don't run.
"A mountain lion attack on people or pets is highly unlikely, however TPWD biologists suggest that residents keep their pets indoors at night, don't leave out pet food and secure their trash," Radke said.
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