Students at River Grove Elementary School, an outdoor-education focused charter school in northern Washington County, were kept inside on Wednesday after a parent spotted what they believed was a mountain lion, authorities said.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office was called to the school, located at Wilder Forest in May Township, on a possible mountain lion sighting around 8:15 a.m. Wednesday, said Cmdr. Sara Halverson.

The responding deputy did not witness the mountain lion, and the sheriff’s office did not receive any other calls reporting mountain lion sightings in the area, but “a school representative said he was going to keep the kids inside,” Halverson said.

If a mountain lion sighting is confirmed, it would be the second in the Twin Cities in little more than a month.

A Nebraska-tagged mountain lion was struck and killed Dec. 6 on Interstate 394 in Golden Valley. It is believed to be the same one seen earlier that week in Minneapolis’ Lowry Hill neighborhood.

A call to the school was not immediately returned.

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