Who let the big cats out?
Authorities in central Indiana launched a large-scale search after reports that a 300-pound lioness and her cub may be roaming free in the area.
The pair of apex predators were believed to be somewhere between northern Hancock County and southern Madison County in the Hoosier State, according to WXIN.
The Madison County Sheriff’s Department said it received a call around 10 a.m. Thursday about two large exotic cats spotted loose along South Country Road 50 West in Jackson Township.
A nearby resident reportedly told officials he saw the animals from a rear window of his home, describing a 300-pound lioness wearing a blue harness and a smaller cub wandering freely.
The sheriff’s department said the report followed an earlier account from a drone operator who also claimed to have seen the big cats.
Deputies and Indiana State Police responded with ground units and thermal drones as they searched for the reported mother-and-cub duo, the outlet reported.
But after an extensive four-hour search, the sheriff’s department said officers were unable to confirm whether the loose lions existed at all, as no law enforcement personnel saw the animals.
No lions were reported missing from animal sanctuaries as of Thursday, according to the local outlet.
The Madison County Sheriff’s Department said it is unaware of any permits within the county that allow the ownership of a lion.
