Who let the cats out?
A 300-pound lioness and her cub are thought to be on the loose in central Indiana, prompting authorities to launch a massive search effort for the apex predators.
The prowling pair are believed to be on the lam somewhere in northern Hancock or southern Madison counties in the Hoosier State, WXIN reported.
Around 10 a.m. Thursday, the Madison County Sheriff’s Department said it received a report of two large exotic cats on the loose on South Country Road 50 West in Jackson Township.
A nearby resident reportedly spotted a 300-pound lioness wearing a blue harness and a smaller cub roaming freely from his back window.
The sheriff’s department said it also had received an earlier report from a drone operator confirming a sighting of the big cats.
Sheriff’s deputies and state police used ground units and thermal drones while searching for the reported mom-and-cub duo, the outlet reported.
However, after a four-hour extensive search, the sheriff’s department said it could not verify that the loose lions even exist, as no law enforcement officers spotted the pair.
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.
