WALLER COUNTY, Texas – There have been several sightings of big cats in Waller County and some are blaming them for attacks on livestock.
People living in or around the Fields Store community on FM 1488 have reported seeing cougars or mountain lions in recent weeks.
"My husband actually said he saw it cross the road," said Christina Fitsgerald, a Fields Store resident.
A horse was injured in the area last week. The owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, reportedly found a paw print on the injured animal's rump along with the gashes on her flank.
"It's not fair to say it's a mountain lion attack. We just don't know and at this point it's just speculation," said Johnny Longoria of the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife.
Longoria says the horse's injuries could have been caused by something else, liked a barbed wire fence.
So far none of the big cat sightings in Waller County have been confirmed.
Game wardens have confirmed mountain lions in 67 Texas counties, but Waller County is not one of them.
Lt. Longoria says that doesn't mean the recent reports aren't true, but so far there isn't solid evidence to prove one way or the other.
Game wardens say if you're confronted by a big cat, the best way to protect yourself is to act aggressively and fight back. Do not try to play dead.