DNR: Animal in Eden Prairie More Likely Coyote Than Cougar

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) -- The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says an animal sighted roaming in a Twin Cities suburb is more likely a coyote than a cougar.

Authorities tweeted a photo Thursday night of what appears to be a cougar taken by a resident in Eden Prairie this week near Purgatory Creek.

But wildlife experts with the DNR say the animal is a canine and likely a coyote. That's because the animal has a longer snout than a cougar, and its ears are higher and more pointed.

It is not the first possible cougar sighting reported in Eden Prairie this summer. Two weeks ago, police were notified of a sighting near Staring Lake. That same week, two cougar sightings were reported in Bloomington.

Cougars are a protected species and may not be shot.