Cook County Animal and Rabies Control administrator Donna Alexander says the male cat had no identifying marks such as tags, tattoos or computer chips that showed it was privately owned. It weighed 122 pounds.

South Dakota wildlife officials have speculated that the lion may have come from the Black Hills. But a South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks Department official says a DNA sample from a South Dakota mountain lion would be needed to come to that conclusion.

South Dakota has an estimated 200 to 225 mountain lions in the Black Hills, including 80 that officials have collared for research.