KCTV 5Pictures: Mountain lion captured in Missouri

A mountain lion caught in a trap in Southeast Missouri on Wednesday has been safely returned to the wild.

The Missouri Department of Conservation reported that a private citizen in Reynolds County trapped the 122-lb. male mountain lion after the cat entered a large, cage-type live trap that the man set on Mark Twain National Forest land. The man had set the trap to catch bobcats, coyotes, raccoons and other mammals.

The mountain lion, still alive and in the cage, was brought to Centerville, MO, Friday morning, where wildlife experts could examine the cat before releasing it.

After measuring, weighing, and collecting DNA from the cat, wildlife experts released the cat in the Current River Conservation Area located about 120 miles south of St. Louis, MO.

The cat's age was estimated at two years. The cat was in excellent physical condition and showed no signs of having been held in captivity, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.

All wildlife is protected under the provisions of the Wildlife Code of Missouri. The big cat was released according to Missouri Department of Conservation policy for such cases.

If you've spotted a mountain lion, the Missouri Department of Conservation wants to know about it. The Mountain Lion Response Team can be reached at mountain.lion@mdc.mo.gov.

Pictures of the mountain lion were made available by the Missouri Department of Conservation. The pictures were taken while the cat was recovering from sedatives and before its release

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