NEAR OLMITO – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is working to authenticate a reported mountain lion kill near Olmito. A photo of the dead animal went viral on social media.

Captain James Dunks tells CHANNEL 5 NEWS it appears to be a male mountain lion.

He says these cats are common in the Rio Grande Valley, but usually try to stay away from humans. He said they tend to stay in areas where the brush is thick, where they can hide and stalk their prey.

He mentioned there are plenty of these animals in and around the Laguna Atascosa Wildlife Sanctuary. They can roam for miles.

It's possible this mountain lion was in the Olmito area looking for food, water or even cover.

"It's a 100-mile radius range they travel. You know, they tend to be where the food source is, which can be feral hogs, javalinas and deer, which is very typical for them, they're wild animals. They can go where ever they want to go," said Dunks.

Dunks says they are trying to authenticate this kill but by the looks of the vegetation, he believes it did happen in Cameron County.

They are also working to find out if the person who allegedly shot the mountain lion had a valid hunter’s license.

If they didn’t and the animal wasn’t an immediate threat, they could be facing a Class C misdemeanor and a fine of about $2,500.