Authorities in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, are on the lookout for a lion after reports of sightings began rolling in on Monday — but no trace of the large animal has been found so far.

An alleged image of the lion caught on camera has made the rounds on social media and in news reports, fueling speculation that it is stalking the region.

Milwaukee Police Lt. Mark Stanmeyer said in a statement, "For the past three days, MPD has received calls from concerned citizens who reportedly have seen a lion. Each time a call is received, officers are sent to investigate and have found nothing. There isn't anything else to share at this point."

Still, that hasn't stopped some from apparently taking the alert seriously with unfortunate results. Police were responding to an alleged sighting of the animal when a report came in from an anonymous caller that someone had fired a gun at a stray dog less than two blocks from the sighting. A rep for Milwaukee's animal control said, “Obviously the person who shot this thought they shot a lion. People tend to be amped up or afraid."

Not to worry, the pitbull, which shelter staff have nicknamed Pete, is recovering. But the reported lion remains at large and the shooter has not been identified while apparently still in possession of a deadly weapon.

Nope, not the #mkelion. Just a dog (that now is recovering from a gunshot wound). http://t.co/NNd7aJB4u3 pic.twitter.com/z7dgrnlY8m — Journal Sentinel (@journalsentinel) July 23, 2015

The executive director of the shelter, Karen Sparapani, told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel they named the injured pup after a clumsy coworker. "Pete's often in the wrong place at the wrong time, just like this dog was," Sparapani said.

As residents await word on the animal's true identity or if it exists, social media has been quick to pick up the torch, continuing to build the lion's myth courtesy of the hashtag "#mkelion."

What do you mean you don't have Lowenbrau!? #mkelion pic.twitter.com/3lBz2gPKSG — Leff's Lucky Town (@LeffsLuckyTown) July 22, 2015

#MKELION livin it up on Old World Third St... Must be headed to @MadersWI pic.twitter.com/N7vlRq85n9 — VISIT Milwaukee (@visitmilwaukee) July 21, 2015

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports all lions are accounted for at the Milwaukee Zoo and notes that mountain lions, which have occasionally been sighted across parts of Wisconsin and Illinois, including Chicago, in recent years, are often mistaken for other animals.