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Texas Parks And Wildlife Confirms First Documented Mountain Lion Sighting In Dallas County

ROWLETT, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Dallas County had an extremely rare visitor last week.

But it's the kind of visitor that could cause some chills.

It was in a neighborhood near Lake Ray Hubbard off Dalrock in Rowlett where a homeowner's security camera captured one of the rarest creatures in Texas, a mountain lion.

It's an animal that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department says hasn't had a documented appearance in Dallas County until now.

Mountain lion on surveillance camera on trail in Rowlett
Mountain lion on surveillance camera on trail in Rowlett

This is video recorded on Sunday behind the home of a couple who posted it on YouTube.

Mountain lion in the city, cruising the dalrock area, Rowlett TX (vid 1) by Logan Aduddell on YouTube

It shows what the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department confirmed to be a mountain lion wandering past the property from two different angles.

Mountain lion in the city, cruising the dalrock area, Rowlett TX (vid 2) by Logan Aduddell on YouTube

State wildlife workers later inspected the area found tracks to back up their initial suspicion that it was indeed a mountain lion.

They analyzed the video and ruled out other possible types of wildlife such as a bobcat because its tail was long enough to drag on the ground.

CBS 11 received a statement from TPWD saying, "Biologists suspect that this mountain lion is most likely a transient juvenile male that is just passing through as it searches for a home range, a place where it can establish itself. The mountain lion and its tracks were spotted on a private property in Rowlett... Mountain lion's food sources include deer as well as feral hogs and there is not a large deer population in the area where this lion was spotted. So, it could have been searching for feral hogs/a general food source."

Wildlife experts also says mountain lions can travel many miles during a week so they would be surprised if it's seen again.

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