Mystery Animal Roams the Streets in California

— -- Is it a lion?

A dog?

A Chupacabra?

Residents in Norwalk, California, are jittery over reports of an African lion possibly roaming the streets.

So far, only grainy security images of the mysterious creature have emerged, showing the animal prowling along the sidewalk.

California Department of Fish and Wildlife experts studied that footage. The cat-like animal is not a mountain lion, authorities determined.

“Department officials still cannot definitively identify the type of animal,” authorities said. “They will continue to investigate.”

Norwalk Mayor Marcel Rodarte is intrigued by the creature’s appearance.

“The tail doesn’t seem to match up to the physical traits of a mountain lion, so it is still a mystery,” Rodarte said.

Authorities with a local zoo claimed all the big cats are accounted for.

A similar lion scare occurred last year in Virginia -- but that ominous animal turned out to be a bizarrely-coiffed labradoodle named Charles the Monarch. While dog-grooming tricks can confuse people from time to time, the gait of the mystery beast in California has residents concerned.

“We’ve got dogs and my sister got another little dog, so we’re all just making sure everybody keeps their pets inside,” resident Elizabeth Colon said.