Indiana authorities are on high alert as they search for a lion and its cub that have been reported loose in Hancock and Madison counties. The search, which began Thursday, has yielded no sightings of the animals.
A homeowner contacted 911 around 10 a.m. on Thursday after spotting what appeared to be a 300-pound lioness near the 10000 block of South County Road 50 West. The witness reported the large cat was wearing a blue harness and was accompanied by a smaller cub.
"The witness got some binoculars, took a closer look and saw the harness on the [mother]," Sheriff John Beeman told WXIN-TV. The witness observed the animals until they moved southwest.
A drone operator later spotted large animals from above, which officials initially believed could be the lions, but they were later identified as livestock. Ground units and thermal drones were utilized in the four-hour search, but police were unable to locate the big cats.
Sheriff's officials stated that the area's dense woods and extensive corn and bean fields provide numerous hiding places for the animals. No local animal sanctuaries have reported any missing lions. Additionally, authorities are not aware of any permits that would allow for a lion to be kept in the county.
The origin of the lions remains a mystery. Sheriff Beeman suggested they may have been illegally kept as pets or escaped during transport. "According to the USDA, we have no known approved license holders in the area, but that doesn’t mean anything," he told the outlet.
The search was suspended Thursday evening. Authorities are continuing to investigate the animals' whereabouts and how they came to be in the area.