Possible Lion Spotted Roaming the Streets of Milwaukee

— -- A large feline, possibly a lion, was recently seen roaming the streets of Milwaukee.

Bill Nolen and his wife, Annie, said they saw the animal outside their home.

“I was afraid to move,” Annie Nolen told ABC affiliate WISN-TV. “I was sitting there, and I couldn’t move. I thought, ‘What am I looking at?’”

Authorities received numerous 911 calls about the large cat.

Authorities with the Department of Natural Resources believe it may be a lioness.

While there have been no other confirmed sightings of the animal, police are not taking the threat lightly.

“We are treating it seriously. We have got a number of people out there looking,” Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn said. “Certainly, something could have come here from upstate following the deer population.”

While many around Milwaukee are concerned, others are having a bit more fun. The city’s professional basketball team, the Bucks, humorously dispatched its mascot, Bango, to investigate.

For Bill Nolen, the situation is no laughing matter.

“People have their kids out there roaming around. If there is a mountain lion, it could be dangerous,” Nolen said.