The huge cat was caught by motion-sensitive game cameras east of Bloomfield last week after reports of mountain lion activity in the area, said spokesman Phil Bloom.

Without additional evidence, DNR officials said it's impossible to say if the mountain lion photographed in Greene County is wild or is a formerly captive cat.

The chance of encountering a mountain lion in Indiana is almost non-existent, with the last confirmed case of a wild cat in Indiana somewhere between 1850 and 1865, according to the DNR.

Still, Bloom said people should be alert to their surroundings, and not try to approach, corner or run from a mountain lion.

Instead, the DNR urges people to stand and face and animal, make eye contact and try to appear as large as possible. If confronted by a mountain lion, a person should wave their arms slowly and speak firmly in a loud voice, Bloom said.

Mountain lions are a protected species in Indiana, but state law allows a resident landowner or tenant to kill a mountain lion while it is causing damage to property.