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A 5-month-old female mountain lion was shot and killed over the weekend south of Chadron, Nebraska, officials said Tuesday.

A man said he noticed the animal crouching in the grass about 20 yards from his residence, where two young children were on a patio. The man grabbed a rifle from the house and approached the animal, then shot it when it got up but didn’t flee. The mountain lion weighed approximately 30 pounds.

As required by law, the man immediately notified authorities after he shot the mountain lion on Saturday. An officer from the Dawes County Sheriff’s Office arrived and took possession of the animal. Its body was handed over to Nebraska Game and Parks officials the next day. Authorities determined the man acted within the law in killing the mountain lion, officials said.