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Potential lion spotting in Milwaukee causes uproar on social media

Residents and businesses in Milwaukee have been having fun on social media with reports of a lion roaming through the city.
/ Source: TODAY

Has Milwaukee become a lion's den?

A cell phone video and reports to authorities over the past two days have residents wondering if a lion has found a home in the Wisconsin city.

The reports of an animal that looked like a lion started coming into the Milwaukee Police Department started on Monday. Authorities believe it also could possibly be a cougar, puma or mountain lion that has come down from the northern part of Wisconsin.

On Tuesday, local resident Cynthia Wilborn shot a cell phone video of the animal loping through a neighbor's backyard. Officers from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Milwaukee Police Department checked the area for several hours on Monday and Tuesday without seeing the animal but are regularly patrolling the neighborhoods for any sightings.

While police haven't seen any sign of the animal yet, it has definitely been spotted all over social media. Hashtagged the #mkelion, the animal already has its own Twitter account and T-shirt.

Follow TODAY.com writer Scott Stump on Twitter and Google+.