LONGVIEW, Texas — It's not an animal that many people would expect to see near the roadways of East Texas, but a police officer came across none other than a mountain lion this week.
A Longview police officer was patrolling in the 3800 block of West Loop 281 around 3 a.m. Tuesday when he struck a mountain lion with his patrol vehicle, according to a Facebook post from Longview police.
Due to the extent of animal's injuries, the mountain lion had to be put down at the scene. A Texas Parks & Wildlife biologist and game warden were called, and a game warden took possession of the carcass.
According to the National Wildlife Federation, mountain lions live all throughout the Americas and can be found in a variety of ecosystems, such as mountains, forests, deserts, and wetlands. They're able to make their homes anywhere there is shelter and prey. These animals also go by the names of cougar, puma, panther, or catamount.
So that means even East Texas can be home to these large felines.
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