Sightings weren't uncommon in Northwest Arkansas when I lived there a few years ago (grew up there, never saw one myself). A neighbor shot one that kept coming after her chickens, didn't report it because you get into trouble for doing that. Nothing official, some that were reported were black and officially that type doesn't exist. Alice saw one here in Indiana when she was a kid, scared the heck out of her horse. A ranger friend of mine who worked in the Smokey Mountain Nat Park saw tracks when she was there, a lion stalking wild pigs, but was told not to follow up on it. Officially there's some concern that if the lions were confirmed to be in an area it might put a damper on logging operations, or so she was told, so reports are discouraged. I've seen bobcats and I think it would be very hard to mistake one for a mountain lion.

JimmyTH