Warning Issued For Mountain Lions In Upstate NY

An Upstate town issued a warning on social media about possible sightings of a mountain lion. What would you do if you saw one?

According to the Times Union, Halfmoon Supervisor Kevin Tollisen says:

"We have received information from residents that there have been sightings of a mountain lion in the vicinity of Coons Crossing (in) the northern part of Halfmoon...We would just like to alert everyone to please be aware for the safety your families and pets."

Tollisen told the Times Union that he issued the warning after receiving several reports of a large animal roaming the neighborhood.

"People are saying, literally, they saw a lion," Tollisen said, adding that another resident became alarmed after finding large paw prints.

There have been rumors about the DEC, specifically Officer 'Jones,' has releasing cougars to control deer populations. Some people say they have seen cougars with ear tags or neck collars, so the state must have released them. This is not true. The DEC has never released cougars, despite what you may hear.

Reports of hunters, hikers, and residents encountering these big cats have continued through the years, and one description from August on 1995 near Oneonta led to an investigation of the sightings. A year after the initial investigation resulted in an accumulation of more than 44 reports of big cat sightings in east-central New York.

The Eastern Cougar, also known as a puma, catamount, panther and mountain lion has been listed as Extirpated in NYS. Officially, the big cats have not existed in the northeast since the early 1900s.To report sightings of rare species,  visit dec.ny.gov/animals/91024.html

Do you think there are mountain lions in the area?