iStockphoto / Kelly Wilkinson/IndyStar, Indianapolis Star via Imagn Content Services, LLC
A collage shows the Indiana state flag alongside a lion running free.
Contrary to popular belief, the African lion is not, in fact, native to central Indiana. So you can imagine the surprise on the faces of Indiana residents and authorities when a pair of lions was spotted outside of Indianapolis on Thursday.
Adding to the confusion is the fact that nobody seems to know where exactly the lion and cub, which are reportedly somewhere in Hancock or Madison County, actually came from.
According to Fox 59 and CBS 4 in Indiana, the Madison County Sheriff’s Department said it received a report at 10 a.m. of two large exotic cats on the loose somewhere in the 10000 block of South County Road 50 West in Madison County, around 35 miles outside of Indianapolis.
No wildlife parks or zoos in the area reported any animals missing.
How Did A Pair Of Lions End Up Loose In Central Indiana?
According to reports, a resident told police that he looked out his back window and observed a lioness that he estimated at around 300 pounds wearing a blue harness heading southwest. A smaller cub was reportedly alongside the lioness.
The local sheriff’s department then stated that a drone operator confirmed the sighting of the animals, although it has since claimed that it only received the initial report.
Additionally, the sheriff’s department was unable to verify the loose animals, saying no law enforcement officers have spotted the lions after a four-hour search.
Police in the area used ground units as well as thermal drones during the search, but turned up no sighting of the animals.
Despite that, local police are urging residents to be on alert and to contact them with any additional sightings of the animals.
The Madison County Sheriff’s Department added that it has no record of any permits allowing ownership of a lion in the county.