Deer are common in areas of suburban St. Louis. Raccoons and skunks, too.
But mountain lions?
Pictures taken Jan. 12 from a stationary wildlife camera in Chesterfield provide the first confirmed sighting of a mountain lion in St. Louis County since 1994.
The Missouri Department of Conservation isn't yet sure if it is a wild mountain lion or if it belongs to one of the 32 people in the state who have permits to keep captive mountain lions.
Conservation officials tell the St. Louis Post-Dispatch they believe the animal was most likely passing through Chesterfield in search of territory or a mate.