NEWTON, Iowa -- People living near the Iowa Speedway in Newton say they have a new--albeit--temporary neighbor. They say there's a mountain lion in the area.
Jim Rethmeier says he's captured images of the big cat on a trail camera set up near his house.
"It's on the main deer trail that run through--behind my house. I live along a string of timber that narrows down and runs right behind the fence in my backyard. It's the main corridor for all the animal travel," he says.
Rethmeier says it seems the cat has easy access to food and has set up shop, with deer in the area along with farms with sheep and goats. He says he's concerned for his and his neighbors pets.
"There's not many kids, but we plenty of animals--our dog, etcetera. What really got me was just last night I was standing outside with our dogs--I have a fenced-in backyard--and I could hear the cat chirping back there," he says.
Rethmeier says he thinks the mountain lion is a juvenile male weighing about 70 pounds.
Photo from Jim Rethmeier