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Missing Texas man, 28, found dead of suspected mountain lion attack, sheriff says

HOOD COUNTY, Texas — A missing North Texas man’s body was found Thursday afternoon following what authorities believe was a fatal mountain lion attack.

Christopher Allen Whiteley, who was last seen Wednesday in Lipan, Texas, was reported missing Thursday, The Dallas Morning News reported.

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According to KSAT, Whiteley’s body was found in a wooded area and sent to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy. The medical examiner later indicated the victim had died from a wild animal attack, possibly a mountain lion.

The Hood County Sheriff’s Office is working with Texas Game Wardens and a trapper with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to find the mountain lion, The Dallas Morning News reported, noting Lipan residents are urged not to attempt tracking the animal themselves and to keep young children and animals indoors.

“The safety of Hood County Citizens [is] my priority one, but please don’t interfere with the process of locating the animal, and stay clear of the area being actively worked by officials,” Hood County Sheriff Roger Deeds said in a prepared statement issued Saturday.

Lipan is located about 85 miles west of Dallas.