Animal in video shot in Columbia, Illinois is not a mountain lion, officials say
Published: Feb. 21, 2023 at 4:34 PM CST
COLUMBIA, Ill. (KMOV) -- A man claims he spotted a mountain lion in Columbia, Illinois, but Illinois natural resource officials disagree.
Dean Gaither shared a video he took with his cellphone of the possible mountain lion with News 4. He said the video was taken around 2:20 p.m. on Monday, when he looked over and saw the animal on a hill.
The video was also sent to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR). DNR officials later told News 4 their biologists say “the animal’s coloration, striping and apparent size are not consistent with that of a mountain lion.”
There have been eight official mountain lion sightings in Illinois since 2002.
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