Iowa officials investigating alleged mountain lion sighting

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa police and the state’s Department of Natural Resources are investigating another alleged sighting of a mountain lion in Des Moines.

The Des Moines Register reports an animal was spotted Sunday. Des Moines police Sgt. Paul Parizek told the nwspaper that Animal Control is reviewing a photo of the creature but hasn’t located it.

Department of Natural Resources spokesman Alex Murphy says an agency biologist is analyzing the photo and does not believe it’s a mountain lion. Murphy says characteristic dark marks around mountain lions’ eyes are not visible in the photo, but Murphy says it’s difficult to tell because the image is blurry.

The last confirmed sighting of a mountain lion in the city was May 10. Murphy previously said agency officials believed that mountain lion likely left town.